Paint the Sky with Stars
by AmunRa
Summary: **Complete** Now that Yugi has made his choice, what dangers await him and the rest of the gang?
1. The Death of Innocence

First of all, this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfic, so I hope that it doesn't stink. Second, I've only seen the American TV version of this, which has only aired though the very beginning of the Battle City arc. That explains my use of the American names and such. I'm not sure what got into me to write this. I got a scene in my head that wouldn't leave me alone, so I built the rest of the story around it. It's rather angsty and sad, so if you were looking for a happy fic, this isn't it. Then again, you could probably tell that by the summary.  
  
This is purely a friendship fic. Also, the only warning I need to give is that I write pretty graphic descriptions, so be prepared.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Part I: The Death of Innocence  
  
"Hey Joey, wait up!"  
  
Joey heard Tea's voice calling to him and stopped walking as he neared the intersection. He waited for her to catch up to him, before resuming his walk.  
  
"What's up, Tea? Where are you off to?'  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I'd go by Yugi's and see how he's doing. He's been so down lately. Ever since that incident with Bandit Keith in the warehouse, he's been preoccupied and aloof. It's almost as if he's trying to pull away from us and deal with whatever this is all by himself. It's really starting to worry me, Joey."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed that too, Tea. It's gotten me a bit worried as well. I asked him about the fact that he seemed so out of it lately and he told me that he had been spending a lot of time talking to the spirit of the puzzle. He said that they were both worried about the guy who was controlling Bandit Keith, because not even the spirit had an idea about who the guy might be, or what kind of magic he was using to control Keith," Joey added, clearly remembering how close they'd come to losing their young friend. "It's all pretty creepy if you ask me."  
  
"Tell me about it. I've had a bad feeling about all of this ever since Yugi landed in the hospital after that. I don't get it. Yugi is the sweetest guy. why would anyone want to hurt him?"  
  
Joey chuckled slightly with a tinge of bitterness. "That's part of it, Tea. He is so sweet and very peaceful. It used to drive me nuts, before I was friends with him."  
  
Tea glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "That's right, you and Tristan used to bully him. Sometimes, with everything we've been through together since then, I forget about that."  
  
"It seems like an eternity has passed since then."  
  
The two friends walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts until Tea spoke up.  
  
"I want to help him with whatever is going on, but I can't do that if he won't tell me what's wrong. I thought I'd go over there and see if I can force some information out of him."  
  
"That sounds like a great idea. Why don't I go with you? I'd suggest getting Tristan too, but he's busy with his family tonight."  
  
"Good. I think the more the merrier."  
  
They walked quickly along the street, the late afternoon traffic rather light for a weekday. They didn't see many other kids out and about, since most everyone would be at home having dinner by this time. Joey hoped that Yugi's grandfather wouldn't mind having them over at this time of the day.  
  
Joey and Tea turned down the residential street that led to the game shop and quickened their pace, eager to have a talk with Yugi. The sun was already setting, bathing the numerous alleys they passed in shadows. Joey shuddered as they passed a couple of them, memories of his shady past unwillingly resurfacing.  
  
Suddenly, he felt his foot hit something. Instinctively, Joey looked down to see what he'd kicked and saw a flash of gold. It startled him, because it was such a bright gold. Curious, he walked to where he'd seen the golden piece disappear into the grass.  
  
"What is it, Joey?" Tea asked.  
  
"That thing I kicked, did you see it?" he asked, kneeling by the grassy patch. He reached down into the medium length grass and felt around for the piece.  
  
"No, I didn't. What was it?"  
  
"I don't know, but it seemed odd. I want to see what it was," Joey replied absently. "Aha!" he exclaimed a few minutes later. Triumphantly, he stood up and held out the piece for Tea to see. "This is it. I." he trailed off as he finally got a close look at the piece. He brought it close to his face, feeling his breath catch in his throat.  
  
"Joey, what is it? What's wrong?" Tea asked. She walked up to Joey and peered into his hand at the piece.  
  
"This is one of the pieces of Yugi's puzzle," Joey whispered, still staring at the piece in his hand.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look at it, Tea." He held the piece out to her. "It's one of the corner pieces. Look, it's got a miniature version of that eye in the middle."  
  
Tea leaned closer to him, and he could see her eyes widen in recognition.  
  
"If this is a piece of Yugi's puzzle, what's it doing away from the rest? Better yet, what's it doing on the street?"  
  
Joey turned back to face the direction where they'd come from, tightly clutching the puzzle piece in his hand. He knew that Yugi only took off the puzzle when he slept at night, and after the incident in the warehouse, Joey knew that Yugi would not leave the puzzle anywhere, even if it happened to be in pieces. He knew in the pit of his stomach that the reason behind the appearance of this piece in the street was not a good one.  
  
He walked back to the place where he'd kicked the piece. To his left was a street, eerily empty at that moment. To his right was a darkened alley. He looked down at the floor, and noticed another piece of the puzzle lying just inside the alley. He bent down and picked it up. He looked into the alley but couldn't see anything because of the shadows from the surrounding buildings. He didn't know how he knew, but he was sure that Yugi was in there, and that he was in trouble.  
  
He quickly walked into the alley, looking at the floor. Several more pieces of the puzzle were scattered along the ground like a morbid trail.  
  
"Yugi? Yugi, are you in here? Answer me!"  
  
Fully panicked now, Joey ran further into the alley, not stopping to think that he could be walking into danger. He had only taken a few steps when he saw a glint of gold to his right, against the wall. Immediately, he made his way over and saw the puzzle lying on the ground. Its entire bottom half was missing, leaving only the top half and the chain that Yugi hung around his neck.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Joey, is Yugi in here? What's." Tea trailed off as she saw the puzzle on the ground.  
  
"Tea, pick up the puzzle and all of the pieces. I'm going to find Yugi."  
  
Joey took off without giving Tea a chance to reply. He ran to the back of the alley and found nothing. As he was getting ready to turn around and walk away, he saw a little patch of sunlight at the far end of the alley. In the middle of the patch was one white sneaker. His panic mounting, Joey walked in slow motion towards the patch of light. The closer he got to it, the more of the surroundings he could make out. To the right of the patch was a small bundle. Joey didn't have to take a second guess as to what that bundle would be.  
  
"Yugi," he whispered and immediately ran over to his friend.  
  
Yugi was lying on his side, facing away from Joey. Something dark was pooled under Yugi's head, and Joey gasped as he realized it was blood. He reached out and gently turned his friend over so that he was lying on his back. Yugi's school uniform was dirty, torn and spotted with blood. His face, however, was unmarked, except for the fact that the entire right side of his face was covered in blood.  
  
"Yugi? Buddy, can you hear me?"  
  
There was no response. Fearfully, Joey reached out to feel for a pulse, and was relieved to find a faint one. He heard a gasp from behind him, and finally remembered that Tea had been with him. He turned and saw her standing there, the pieces of the puzzle in her hand, her eyes wide and filled with tears.  
  
"Oh, Yugi. what happened to him?"  
  
"I don't know, Tea, but he doesn't look so good."  
  
"We should call an ambulance."  
  
Joey shook his head and carefully scooped up his friend. "There's no time. We don't know how long he's been lying here. I think we need to take him to the hospital ourselves."  
  
"But Joey."  
  
He didn't wait for her to finish. As soon as Yugi was secure in his arms, Joey got up. He made his way out of the alley as quickly as he could without overtly jarring Yugi. He was almost at a dead run, Tea running behind him, when he exited the alley and promptly ran into the unlucky person who just happened to be crossing in front of the alley at the same time. He heard a curse and a loud thump as the other person hit the ground, but Joey kept on walking. He didn't know how he was going to get Yugi to the hospital on his own, but he knew that waiting around was a mistake.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're going!"  
  
Joey froze at the sound of the voice, and whirled around to face a very angry Seto Kaiba. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He walked back towards Kaiba, noting how Kaiba's eyes widened as he noticed Yugi.  
  
"Where is your car?" Joey asked, looking at Kaiba in the face.  
  
"What? My car?"  
  
"Your car, where is it? Look, I know that you don't like me, but you owe Yugi. He saved you and your brother from an eternity as Pegasus' mindless slaves. The very least you can do for him now is take him to the hospital."  
  
**~~**~~**  
  
Well, there you have it. Shall I continue, or should I shoot my muse so he'll leave me alone? Since this is my first effort, I'd really appreciate knowing if there is any interest for me to continue.  
  
Thanks! 


	2. The Road Less Traveled

Hello again! Okay, I'm glad to know that the story doesn't stink. My muse is happy too, because now I don't have to shoot him. Thank you to those that reviewed! You were so encouraging that I decided to write the second chapter. Hopefully, it'll explain a bit more.  
  
Oh, yeah, something I forgot to put on the last chapter: I don't own the characters. I wish I did, but since that's not possible, I'm content to borrow them for a little bit. I'll give them back unharmed, I promise.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
****  
  
Part II: The Road Less Traveled  
  
Seto Kaiba sat on one end of the back seat of his limo, staring out the window at the quiet streets of Domino City. Joey Wheeler sat stiffly beside him, constantly muttering and whispering. Kaiba couldn't make out what Joey was saying, but he was sure that the words were meant for the non responsive Yugi. Tea sat on the other side of Joey, clutching something in her hands. They looked like a bunch of golden blocks to Kaiba, and he hadn't bothered to ask her what they were.  
  
The last think he'd expected when he had foolishly decided to take a walk was to run into this group of misfits. He certainly hadn't expected that one of them would look as if dearth had come knocking on his door. Yugi looked very pale and small as he lay in Joey's arms, which made the blood on his face and clothing stand out even more. Kaiba hated to admit it, but he'd felt a bit of concern for the younger teen when he'd gotten over the shock of seeing him. Joey had been right about one thing: he did owe Yugi for saving him and Mokuba from Pegasus. After this, they would finally be even.  
  
"What happened to him?" Kaiba finally asked, tearing his eyes away from the passing scenery. He focused instead on Joey, who apparently didn't hear the question. It was Tea who finally answered.  
  
"We don't know what happened. We were on our way to the game shop when Joey found a piece of the puzzle on the street. We looked in the alley where we found more puzzle pieces and then found him."  
  
Tea's voice was soft, and he could hear the fear tainting it. Her sentences were rushed and jumbled, making it hard for him to piece together what had taken place.  
  
"What puzzle?" he asked.  
  
"This," Tea replied, holding up the jumbled blocks in her hands. "The necklace that Yugi wears around his neck, it's a puzzle. We found some of the pieces on the street and knew that something was wrong. When we found him, he had already been beaten," she finished, nodding in Yugi's direction.  
  
Kaiba looked at the unconscious teen, not for the first time wondering why he'd been attacked. Yes, he was well aware that Yugi had been bullied at school for quite some time, but what had been done to him today went way beyond what a school bully would do.  
  
"Kaiba, do you have your mobile phone?" Joey suddenly asked.  
  
Kaiba turned to him, but Joey hadn't looked up and was still staring at Yugi.  
  
"Yes, I have it."  
  
"Call Yugi's grandfather, tell him what happened."  
  
He opened his mouth to remind Joey that he didn't take orders from anyone, but then shut it. This was not the time to argue.  
  
"Fine," he muttered.  
  
He took out the phone and was about to dial when Tea's voice stopped him.  
  
"Let me do it. Yugi's grandfather doesn't like you very much, and he's going to be shocked enough without hearing this from you."  
  
Kaiba looked at her, annoyed, and then simply handed her the phone. He waited with it outstretched until he realized that she already had her hands full. With an annoyed sigh, he lifted up a backpack from the floor, opened it, and held it out to her. Tea looked at it in confusion for a moment, before hastily dumping the puzzle pieces inside. He closed the bag and gave it to her, along with his phone. He settled back on the seat and returned his attention to the outside. They were getting close to the hospital, he could tell.  
  
"Mr. Moto, its Tea. I think you should go to Domino Hospital."  
  
He heard her speaking, and then she waited a bit to get the grandfather's reaction.  
  
"Yes, something has happened to Yugi, but we don't know what. He's been hurt and I think you should be there."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Yes, we're on our way now. Okay, I'll see you there. Bye."  
  
"How'd he take it?"  
  
Tea sighed and handed him back the phone. "Not well. He's worried. He wants us to tell him what happened, but we can't do that because we don't know. I just hope everything's okay," she trailed off as her eyes started to tear up.  
  
Kaiba took the phone from her and put it away.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Joey asked.  
  
This time, he did lift his head and met Kaiba's eyes. Kaiba was slightly shocked to see the utter seriousness in Joey's eyes. There was no joke, no idiotic remarks, just plain worry and unshed tears.  
  
"Master Kaiba, we've arrived."  
  
As soon as the words had left the driver's mouth, Tea and Joey were out of the car. Joey was yelling at the emergency crew that had just gotten into an ambulance, and they quickly got out and took Yugi from Joey, putting him on a stretcher and taking him inside the hospital. Kaiba got out of the car as well and started to follow them inside when he suddenly stopped. What was he doing? They weren't going to want him there. When Yugi's grandfather arrived, the man certainly wasn't going to want him there. So why did he have this urgent need to go inside?  
  
**~~**  
  
Joey ran down the crowded hall of the hospital, pushing people out of his way as he went. He ignored the dirty, and then horrified, looks people gave him, concentrating instead on the body in the stretcher ahead of him. The car ride to the hospital had seemed to last an eternity for him. He'd wanted nothing more than to scream at the driver to speed up and get them to the hospital, but he'd known that it wouldn't have done any good. Instead, he'd settled for softly reassuring Yugi that everything was going to be okay, even though Joey hadn't been sure that it was going to happen. Now that they were in the hospital, he didn't know what to do.  
  
He saw the paramedics take Yugi into one of the emergency rooms and was going to follow them in, when a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
"I'm the doctor on duty, and I'm afraid you can't go in there. Young man, do you know what happened?"  
  
Joey looked up at the kind and concerned face of the doctor, startled out of his daze.  
  
"No, I don't know what happened. We found him already like that, but he looks pretty bad. You have to help him, Doctor. He has to get better."  
  
"I understand, young man. We'll do our best." The doctor looked at his face, and then let his eyes travel down to Joey's chest. "My god, are you hurt?"  
  
Joey followed the gaze and saw that his uniform was bloodied where Yugi's head had rested against his chest. He felt bile rise up in his throat at the sight of the blood, but he chocked it down.  
  
"No, it isn't my blood," he whispered.  
  
"Okay, why don't you have a seat in the waiting room and we'll let you know as soon as we're finished fixing up your friend?"  
  
Joey nodded absently.  
  
"Why don't you go and contact the boy's parents? I'm sure they'll want to know that he's here."  
  
"We've already done that, Doctor," Tea answered. "Yugi's grandfather is on his way."  
  
"Very well, you two stay put. We'll do everything we can."  
  
The doctor turned around and went back into the emergency room, leaving the two teenagers standing in the middle of the suddenly overcrowded room.  
  
Joey felt as if he were operating in slow motion. Now that they'd gotten Yugi to the hospital, he didn't know what else to do. He wanted to be in there with his friend, but knew why he couldn't be. He just hoped that they hadn't waited too long, that it wasn't too late to save Yugi.  
  
**~~**  
  
Yugi woke up and found himself surrounded by bland, white walls. He didn't really feel anything. As a matter of fact, he felt as if he were very light, almost as if he were floating. He heard noises behind him and turned around, only to catch his breath when he realized that he was floating a few feet above a bed.  
  
He looked closely at the figure on the bed and realized with a start that he was looking at himself. He was beaten and bloodied, his head and face covered with blood. Several people stood around the bed, working frantically on him. He heard one of the doctors mention something about a severe head injury, and Yugi's hand immediately went up to his head, but he didn't find an injury there. He looked down at himself and saw that his uniform was crisp and clean, not a mark on it. In contrast, the uniform of the Yugi on the bed was torn, bloody and dirty.  
  
He frowned. He didn't know what was happening. He didn't know what had happened. He willed himself to go down closer to the bed and saw himself lying there, pale and unresponsive. The heart monitor beeped softly, so he knew that he wasn't dead. But if he was out here, who was inside the body?  
  
Yami!  
  
That was his first thought, until he realized that the Yugi on the bed wasn't wearing the Millenium Puzzle. He looked down at himself again and saw that he wasn't wearing it either. No, it couldn't be Yami then. Where was he? Where was the puzzle?  
  
/Yami/ he called through the mental link, fully expecting his other half to reply. Instead, Yugi found only silence. /Yami, where are you?/  
  
The scenery suddenly changed, and Yugi found himself outside of the room, standing in the middle of a hallway. Directly in front of him, he saw Joey and Tea. Tea was softly crying, while Joey simply sat on one of the chairs, stunned. Yugi noted the blood on his clothes and wondered if he'd gotten hurt as well.  
  
"Joey, what happened to you? Are you okay?"  
  
Yugi frowned when no one answered him. He walked closer to his friends in an attempt to get their attention, but they didn't see him.  
  
"Tea, do you still have the puzzle?" Yugi heard Joey ask.  
  
"Yeah, it's in your backpack. I got all the pieces."  
  
Pieces?  
  
Suddenly, the scene changed again, and Yugi found himself in a dark alley.  
  
He had been pulled inside as he walked home from school. It had caught him so by surprise that he hadn't even had time to call out to Yami for help. There had been two men, who easily outweighed him. They'd slammed him face first into the wall, and Yugi could clearly remember how the edge of the puzzle had cut into his chest, before he'd felt it shatter into pieces. He'd tried to call out for help, but a well placed fist to the stomach had quieted him.  
  
Yugi remembered the men wanting something from him. They'd asked him something, and he could remember not knowing how to answer them. He'd told them that he didn't know, but they hadn't believed him. They'd tried beating the answer out of him, but he couldn't give them what they wanted. He'd managed to break free and run away, but they'd caught him. When they'd finally got tired of him, they'd slammed him into the floor. Yugi could still remember the overwhelming pain as his head hit the concrete.  
  
The scene changed again, and he was standing in the corridor again, facing Joey and Tea. His hand automatically went to his head, but he didn't feel any pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his grandfather running towards Joey and Tea. Yugi wanted to say something to him, but found himself being pulled away.  
  
There was a flash of bright light, and he then found himself standing out in the open, in the middle of a field with nothing but black skies above him. He looked up and saw the endless night, full of stars so big and bright that they seemed to have been painted on the sky just for him. He took a deep breath as he examined them, feeling peace and calm for the first time in a long time.  
  
"Welcome to the road less traveled, Yugi-boy."  
  
Yugi whirled around and was shocked to come face to face with a smiling Maximillion Pegasus.  
  
"Pegasus? What are you doing here? Where are we?"  
  
Pegasus laughed as he walked to stand next to Yugi. He stretched out his hands, taking in the entire landscape.  
  
"This, my dear boy, is a representation of your mind. It's kind of boring, if you ask me, but I don't have a say in the décor." He paused, and then gave his full attention to Yugi.  
  
"You're currently in the hospital, fighting for your life. This is simply your way of coping with what's going on out there," Pegasus explained, comically pointing to an area out of their reach. "I'm your guide on your journey through the road less traveled."  
  
"The road less traveled?" Yugi asked, now even more confused than before.  
  
He'd seen his broken body on the hospital bed and knew that Pegasus spoke the truth. If this was really his mind, why did Pegasus have to be here?  
  
"You are a slow one, aren't you little one? You see it's like this: You're being given a choice. You may live, or you may die. Before you decide, however, you must review your life and the choices you've made. You're fairly young, so I don't think it will take you too long to do that. This is the road less traveled because not many get the chance to take this journey. You are special in that regard. As a part of your mind, I know that you've done a lot for a boy your age. You have only yourself to hold accountable for your actions."  
  
Yugi's frown deepened, and he found himself staring up at Pegasus, hoping for more clarification. When none was forthcoming, he sighed.  
  
"Okay, since I don't seem to have a choice in the matter, what do I do?"  
  
Pegasus chuckled and clapped his hands in delight, before pointing one manicured finger at something behind Yugi.  
  
"Behold, your first stop."  
  
Yugi looked to where Pegasus was pointing and found himself staring at a quickly approaching Seto Kaiba.  
  
****  
  
End of part two. Just what does Seto Kaiba have to say to Yugi? Stay tuned and find out. 


	3. Hate and Love

Hello again! I'm very sorry for the delay in getting this part up. I got a bit distracted, but here it is. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! They've been very helpful at getting the creative juices flowing.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Part III: Hate and Love  
  
"Kaiba? What does he have to do with this?"  
  
Yugi turned to Pegasus, who was looking at him serenely.  
  
"Why are you asking me? This is your head we're in, remember?"  
  
Pegasus sat down on a nearby rock, the bright moonlight reflecting off his white hair, making it seem whiter. The Millennium Eye shone eerily in the moonlight as well, and Yugi felt slightly nervous about being this close to Pegasus with no one else around. He unconsciously reached up to his chest to feel the reassuring weight of the Millennium Puzzle, and felt empty and alone when all he clutched was thin air.  
  
"Why are you staring at me?" Pegasus asked, his voice tinged with barely concealed impatience. "I'm not the one you have to talk to."  
  
Yugi blinked, suddenly realizing that he had been staring.  
  
"Sorry," he said, his polite nature kicking in. "Why do I have to talk to Kaiba?"  
  
Pegasus laughed that maddening laugh of his. "Again, I repeat that we're inside your head. You're the one that feels you have to talk to Kaiba. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here."  
  
Yugi sighed, already exasperated by the mind games. He might not be able to feel the pain from the head injury he had sustained, but he was sure getting quite a headache from having to listen to Pegasus' riddles.  
  
"Right, of course" Yugi muttered, rarely used sarcasm creeping into his voice.  
  
He stared at a particularly bright star in the sky, keeping his back to Kaiba. The last conversation they'd had, while they'd still been at Duelist Kingdom, had been a strange one. Yugi didn't understand why Kaiba was so detached, so cold and so ruthless. He figured that he never would, so he just accepted Kaiba for what he was and moved on. That didn't mean that he wanted to talk to him or spend any time with him.  
  
Yugi took a deep breath, released it and finally turned around. He figured that he really didn't have any other choice, so he turned to watch as Kaiba approached him.  
  
"Kaiba," Yugi greeted as the older teen finally reached him.  
  
Seto Kaiba was wearing black pants, a black trench coat that reached his ankles and a red shirt, making him almost invisible in the moonlit surroundings. A silver belt buckle, the silver buttons on the coat and his blue eyes were the only things Yugi could clearly see.  
  
"Yugi. I'd say that I was happy to see you, but that would be a lie," Kaiba said, piercing Yugi with a blue stare. "If I had my way, you wouldn't be around at all."  
  
Yugi was caught off guard by the venom in Kaiba's voice. It seemed uncalled for.  
  
"What did I do to you?" Yugi asked, not taking his eyes off his Duel Monsters rival. "If I recall correctly, you were the one that attacked my grandfather."  
  
Yugi was known to his friends as a calm, quiet guy. He tried to be, because violence didn't solve anything. However, that didn't mean that he didn't feel anger, hatred, or any of the darker emotions. Ever since he'd put the puzzle together, Yami was there to take care of things when they got dangerous or heated, but that didn't mean that Yugi didn't have those emotions himself.  
  
Kaiba chuckled, but there was no humor in it.  
  
"I didn't attack anyone. I simply challenged your grandfather to a duel. It's not my fault that he is an old man and was unable to withstand my holographic monsters."  
  
Yugi clenched his hands, feeling the old, familiar anger stirring in his gut. He hadn't been able to understand why Kaiba had done what he'd done to his grandfather, and he didn't think that he could get a straight answer out of him now. However, he had to try.  
  
"Why was it so important to you to get the Blue Eyes from my grandfather?" he asked.  
  
Kaiba laughed again, and gave Yugi the most cold and cruel look he'd ever been given. Yugi took an unconscious step back, but stopped when he heard Pegasus laughing behind him.  
  
"What's the matter, Yugi-boy. Are you scared?"  
  
Yugi ignored him, instead focusing on Kaiba's face.  
  
"Power, Yugi," Kaiba finally answered. "It's all about power. I told you why I wanted the fourth Blue Eyes, so no one could use it against me. I got it, didn't I? I always get what I want."  
  
Yugi frowned. "So you attacked my grandfather, and yet you hate me?"  
  
"You destroyed my life. The duel I lost to you ruined my reputation and my company's reputation," Kaiba explained. He walked over to Pegasus and took a seat on a rock next to the older man. The darkness hid Kaiba's features, but Yugi didn't have to see his face to know what he would find there.  
  
"I taught you a lesson, Kaiba, one you needed to learn."  
  
"No, you destroyed my brother's faith in me, my faith in myself, and you took great pleasure in doing so. Don't try to deny it; I saw it on your face as you destroyed my dragons."  
  
Yugi crossed his arms, his mouth open slightly in surprise. Where did Kaiba get off blaming him for what he'd done himself?  
  
"You're blaming me because you fell off your brother's pedestal? Pardon me if I'm wrong, but the last time I talked to Mokuba, he still thought you were the best big brother around. As for your faith in yourself, that wasn't my problem, Kaiba, that was yours."  
  
He couldn't help but feel defensive. He had only gone to Kaiba Corp. to get his grandfather. He'd never had any dealings with Seto Kaiba before that and hadn't planned on it, until Kaiba himself had drawn him in to it. What he'd done that day he'd done out of necessity, not pleasure.  
  
"Think what you want, Yugi. You're certainly free to delude yourself. I, for one, don't have time for useless chatter like this." Kaiba got to his feet, dusted himself off and began to walk away. After he'd taken a few steps, he stopped and turned to regard Yugi one last time. "Everyone thinks that you're such a nice guy. What they don't know is that you're selfish and vindictive. I wonder what your friends would think if they knew the real you."  
  
With those parting words, Kaiba was gone.  
  
"Well, it seems Kaiba-boy doesn't like you very much, Yugi."  
  
Yugi let out a small burst of bitter laughter as he faced Pegasus. "I could have told you that."  
  
"He's right, though. You aren't what you seem to be. Nice, little Yugi Moto has his dark side, and I don't mean the spirit of the puzzle," Pegasus commented. He, too, got to his feet, straightening his dark red suit. "Being nice is so much safer, isn't it? It gets people to like you and trust you, so you're better able to betray them when the time is right. Isn't that right?"  
  
"That's not how it is at all. I don't betray my friends."  
  
"Maybe you haven't done it yet, but I'm sure there'll come a time when you will."  
  
Pegasus began to walk away, but motioned for Yugi to follow. Reluctantly, Yugi did.  
  
"So what now?"  
  
"Now, on to the next stop."  
  
****  
  
Solomon Moto paced the length of the emergency room waiting area, worried sick for his grandson. He'd gotten to the hospital as soon as he could, and hadn't been able to get any information from the doctors or nurses since he'd been here. He's spoken to Yugi's two friends, but they didn't know any more than he did. The only thing he'd been told was that Yugi had been taken up to surgery and that someone would come tell him when they were finished. It'd been almost four hours and he'd not received word.  
  
"Here, Mr. Moto."  
  
He turned to find Téa holding out a cup of tea. He took it and smiled at her gratefully. He noticed that she looked tired and very worried. He looked around and saw that Yugi's other friend, Joey, along with a white haired boy that he didn't know, were still there.  
  
"You kids should really be heading home. It's late, and your parents have to be worried about you."  
  
Joey looked up at him, his expression blank. He blinked a few times and his eyes finally cleared. "My father doesn't care where I go, so I'm staying."  
  
Solomon nodded his thanks to the young man and turned to the other one. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."  
  
The white haired teen smiled. "I'm Bakura, and I'm staying too."  
  
"Okay. Téa, you should go home. Your parents are going to be worried sick if you don't."  
  
The girl swallowed and nodded her head. "I want to stay here, but my parents will get worried. Can you please call me as soon as you know about Yugi?"  
  
"Of course I will, dear. If not, I'll have one of the guys call you, but we'll keep you informed."  
  
Téa nodded, said her goodbyes to the guys and left the hospital.  
  
"Why don't you two go and get something to eat," Solomon said, reaching into his pocket for some money. He handed Bakura the money and motioned for him to take Joey. "It's past dinner time."  
  
Joey shook his head. "No, I'd rather stay here, Gramps."  
  
Solomon sighed. He was used to Joey being heard headed. "Look, why don't you two go get something to eat, and you can bring me back something as well."  
  
Joey's eyes narrowed slightly, before the teen finally nodded.  
  
"Okay, Gramps," Joey said and began to walk towards the elevator.  
  
"Bakura," he called to the other teen, and the boy came towards him while Joey waited in front of the elevator.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Moto?"  
  
"Keep an eye on Joey, okay? Make sure he eats something. He's been very quiet, and it's starting to worry me."  
  
"Yes, sir," Bakura said. He smiled slightly before turning around and making his way back to Joey.  
  
Solomon watched them go, strengthened by the fact that Yugi's friends were willing to stick by him, no matter what. Of course, Solomon already knew that after Yugi told him what had happened at Duelist Kingdom, but it was still nice to see just the same.  
  
As he'd told Bakura, Solomon was worried about Joey. The tall teen was never quiet. He was always in motion, commenting about this or that, wanting to know what was going on. Ever since he'd gotten to the hospital, though, Joey had been despondent. He spoke only when spoken to and seemed to be lost in his own world. Of course, Solomon had gotten quite a scare, thinking that Joey had also been injured when he'd first seen him. After Joey and Téa had told him what happened, he'd had to do everything in his power to stop himself from being sick at the thought that all of the blood on Joey's uniform was his grandson's.  
  
Further thoughts about Joey were averted when a man in white scrubs came out of the elevator and headed towards him.  
  
"Are you Mr. Moto?"  
  
"Yes, I am," Solomon answered, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He unconsciously tightened his hands into fists in a futile attempt to ready himself for the news.  
  
"I'm Dr. Suzuki. I was the doctor in charge of Yugi's surgery. Mr. Moto, your grandson is out of surgery now. He sustained various injuries, the most severe of which was a skull fracture. He received a severe blow to the right side of his head, right above the ear. It was a slight fracture and we were able to repair it. However, there was considerable internal swelling and bleeding from the injury."  
  
Solomon looked up at the kind face of the doctor, having heard but not fully digested what the man had said.  
  
"What does that mean?" he asked.  
  
"Well, it means that while the injury has been repaired and the bleeding stopped, your grandson has slipped into a coma."  
  
Solomon gasped, shocked at the news.  
  
"A coma? Is there anything you can do for him?"  
  
Dr. Suzuki shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. All we can do now is wait for the swelling in his head to go down and hope that Yugi wakes up on his own."  
  
"I want to see him."  
  
"Of course," the doctor said. "He's being moved into a private room at the moment. I'll have a nurse come tell you when you can go in. If you have any questions, please feel free to have one of the nurses page me."  
  
Solomon nodded and watched the man leave.  
  
*A skull fracture? My God, what did they do to my grandson?* he asked himself.  
  
He began to slowly tremble with both fear and anger. How could they do that to an innocent boy like his Yugi? What had Yugi ever done to deserve such treatment? How could anyone harm a child like that? He felt tears stinging his eyes but fought them off. He wasn't going to lose it now, because his grandson needed him. Yugi was going to get out of this, he had to. Solomon was going to do everything in his power to make that happen.  
  
"Mr. Moto, please come this way."  
  
Solomon turned to see one of the nurses beckoning to him. He stopped by the chair Joey had vacated, picked up the discarded backpack and then followed the nurse. He was taken to another corridor and shown to a room at the end of the hallway. The nurse smiled sympathetically at him before leaving him alone.  
  
After taking a deep, calming breath, Solomon finally opened the door to the room and stepped inside. The room was bathed in shadows, except for the area around the bed, which was illuminated by a small lamp on one of the tables. He let the door close behind him and walked to the bed.  
  
Yugi lay on the bed, still and quiet. A bandage surrounded his head, and Solomon winced when he realized that a small portion of Yugi's hair had to be shaved off to accommodate the surgery. The rest of it fell unruly over the bandage, the white serving only to make it stand out more. Instinctively, Solomon reached out and brushed the hair back, letting his hand linger on his grandson's forehead. He examined the rest of the small body, noting that his right wrist was covered by a cast and that two of the fingers on the right hand were taped together. He lowered the blanket that covered Yugi and gasped at the various bruises that were already forming on Yugi's uncovered arms.  
  
He tucked the blanket around Yugi again, and then settled on his grandson's left side. Solomon took Yugi's small hand into both of his own, and looked at the peaceful face.  
  
"You will come out of this, Yugi. Do you understand me? There's no other option. You will come out of this."  
  
**~~**  
  
Any guesses on who Yugi is going to talk to next? There are quite a few people to choose from. Poor Joey, he's so out of it. But what if there's a reason for his odd behavior? Still interested? Stay tuned to find out what happens. 


	4. Conflicting Emotions

Hello!  
  
Ask and ye shall receive. You spoil me with awesome reviews, so I spoil you with a new chapter. That seems like a good deal to me. It's a fairly long chapter too. I kind of got carried away.  
  
Now to answer a few questions/comments:  
  
Jenn: There is no yaoi in this one, because I didn't plot it out that way. But who knows, I may try my hand at it later.  
  
Silver Dragon: I quote - "WHY THE HELL IS PEGASUS YUGI'S _GUIDE_????" - This had me rolling! I just thought it was funny. The reason is this: I'm a great admirer of irony. Pegasus was the least likely to be Yugi's guide, which is why I chose him. I've been having quite a lot of fun with him.  
  
Starheart: Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.  
  
To everyone else: I'm very grateful for your kind and encouraging comments. Believe me, it's made writing this story much easier. I wish there was a way to reply to you all individually without taking up an entire chapter, but know that I do appreciate every comment.  
  
Now to the story. Enjoy!  
  
****  
  
Part 4: Conflicting Emotions  
  
Yugi looked down at his left hand, feeling a strange warm sensation flowing through him. There was nothing in his hand, though. He wasn't holding anything. He figured it could be part of the injuries he'd seen his body sustain, but he doubted that it'd feel this way. He felt good, as if he were being bathed in love and caring. He couldn't help but smile a little at the feeling.  
  
"Is something funny, Yugi?" Pegasus asked, startling Yugi out of his musings.  
  
"No, but I think there's someone talking to me," Yugi replied, straining to make out the words. He could hear a soft mumbling, but couldn't make out what was being said. He felt as if he wanted to listen, wanted to follow the soothing voice.  
  
"Nonsense, Yugi-boy. The only one talking to you is me. Besides, you have more important things to worry about."  
  
Yugi turned his head to regard the older man walking beside him. "Like what?"  
  
"Your future, of course. You're here to decide whether to live or die, and I'm here to present you with people who are going to help you make that decision."  
  
"So far, it hasn't been helpful," Yugi reminded the man. "Seto Kaiba said he wanted me dead."  
  
Pegasus turned towards him, his mouth quirking up in a smile. "Not everyone is going to like you, but they won't all be that bad. I think Kaiba-boy just doesn't like you."  
  
Yugi sighed, already tired of all of this. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about what Kaiba had said to him. What if Kaiba was right? What if unconsciously, Yugi really had set out to ruin Kaiba's life as revenge for what Kaiba had done to his grandfather? He supposed that it was possible. He couldn't say for certain that he hadn't done it. After all, he had been very upset and worried about his grandfather, and angry and Kaiba. Who is to say what he did or didn't do in the heat of the moment?  
  
Yugi shook his head, attempting to block out the dark thoughts attempting to hijack his mind. He had been protecting his grandfather that night, nothing more.  
  
"Having second thoughts?"  
  
Startled, Yugi jumped slightly at the unexpected voice. "Second thoughts about what?"  
  
Pegasus shrugged. "What Kaiba said to you?"  
  
"No," Yugi answered quickly, wincing at how defensive he sounded. "Kaiba was mistaken. I didn't do anything to him, I just taught him about the heart of the cards."  
  
Pegasus chuckled. "You can think that if it makes you feel better. I won't stop you."  
  
They continued to walk in silence until they found themselves at a small stream. The gurgling water soothed Yugi's frayed nerves and the soft sound of the tree limbs rustling in the wind gave the place a serene aura. The serenity did not last long, however.  
  
"Looky here, Yugi-boy," Pegasus said, pointing to a spot off to their right. "Your next visitors have arrived."  
  
Yugi turned to where Pegasus was indicating and smiled widely as soon as he saw who it was.  
  
"Joey, Tristan!" Yugi yelled and jogged a little to catch up to his two friends. He stopped in front of them, and frowned when the two guys didn't return either the greeting or the smile.  
  
"Look, Joey, it's that annoying kid," Tristan said, tapping Joey on the shoulder. "What do you want to do with him today?"  
  
Yugi's mouth dropped open, stunned at the contempt in Tristan's voice. He hadn't heard that tone from them in quite a while, not since they'd stopped bullying him.  
  
Joey grinned. "There's a stream over there," he said, pointing to where Pegasus was still standing. "Let's give him a dunk."  
  
Tristan reached out to grab Yugi's shirt, but Yugi took a couple of steps back.  
  
"Guys, what are you doing? This isn't you anymore. We're friends now, remember?" Yugi said, looking from one guy to the other, trying to figure out what was going on.  
  
"Friends?" Joey asked, sneering. "I don't think so. Guys like us don't associate with a shrimp like you."  
  
"Yeah," Tristan chimed in. "The only thing you're good for is bullying." Tristan took another step towards Yugi, but Yugi once again avoided the grasp.  
  
"You don't want to do this, guys. Come on, you've changed. We've all changed. Remember Duelist Kingdom? Joey, your sister and her operation, remember that?"  
  
Joey's face darkened, and he took a step towards Yugi.  
  
"How do you know about that, you little freak? Who have you been talking to?"  
  
Yugi looked from one to the other again, not believing that he was hearing them treat him like that again. It had hurt enough the first time, and it hurt now even more. After everything they'd gone through, how could Joey and Tristan still act this way?  
  
"You told me, Joey."  
  
Joey shook his head. "Nope, I didn't. I wouldn't tell you anything like that. Now come here." Joey reached out to grab Yugi's shirt, and Yugi wasn't fast enough this time. He felt Joey tightening his grip on the shirt, causing the fabric to put pressure on Yugi's neck.  
  
"Let me go," Yugi said, trying to pry Joey's hands off his shirt with no success.  
  
"Let him go, Wheeler."  
  
Yugi shifted his focus, since he couldn't move his head, and saw Téa standing a few feet beside him, glaring at Joey.  
  
"What are you going to do to me if I don't?"  
  
"She isn't going to do anything, Joey," Yugi said, pulling back as hard as he could. To his surprise, he managed to successfully pull himself out of Joey's grasp. He'd never been able to do that before. "I can do it myself."  
  
Yugi felt a hand clenching his heart and squeezing it for all it was worth at seeing his best friends treating him with such disregard. He felt so small and alone again, which was something he'd hoped to never feel again. He turned to Téa and gave her a small, grateful smile. When he turned back, Joey and Tristan were gone.  
  
"Don't pay attention to them, Yugi. They're ignorant and misguided," Téa said. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded, hating himself for the tears he could feel pooling in his eyes. He still couldn't believe it. It shouldn't affect him that much, because Joey and Tristan had bullied him for a while before they'd become friends. That didn't diminish the disappointment and hurt, though.  
  
"I'm fine, Téa. I'm curious. Why do you stand up for me? You always have, and I don't think I ever thanked you, or asked you why you did it."  
  
It was suddenly very important for him to know. Just as he didn't know what it was about him that got people to pick on him, he didn't know why Téa and a couple of others stood up for him.  
  
She shrugged and seemed at a loss for words. She took his arm and led him to the stream. They stopped at the edge of the water and looked down into the stream, watching their distorted reflections on the surface.  
  
"You see that?"  
  
Yugi frowned and looked down harder. "See what?"  
  
Téa smiled. "Your reflection, Yugi. There's something about you that everyone sees. To some, like me, it's something good and kind, something I want to protect and cherish. To others, like Joey and Tristan, it's something to be destroyed."  
  
Yugi's frown deepened, but he continued to stare down at his reflection. He didn't see anything special there. He looked normal. There was nothing special about him at all. He was small and rather useless, which was probably why people loved to pick on him.  
  
"As long as you don't see what I see, Yugi, you won't know your true worth," she commented, almost as if she'd been reading his mind. Téa turned away from the stream and looked at him. "As long as you believe you're unworthy, you're never going to leave this place. I've done what I can; the rest is up to you."  
  
She leaned forward and hugged him quickly, before turning and walking away. After a few moments, she disappeared.  
  
"What a touching moment," Pegasus finally piped up, sniffling theatrically and wiping his dry eyes.  
  
Yugi kept his back to Pegasus, struggling to rein in his wildly conflicting emotions. He was touched and confused by what Téa had said to him. He wasn't quite sure what she had meant, but he was scared of never getting out of this crazy situation he found himself in. He had to do something and he had to do it fast.  
  
****  
  
Seto Kaiba was dragging his feet and he knew it.  
  
"Come on, Seto, you're walking too slowly."  
  
Kaiba sighed and quickened his pace slightly, if only to better keep track of his much faster moving younger brother.  
  
Mokuba had heard about what happened to Yugi on the news, and had been worriedly pacing the living room when he'd finally made it back home. He'd insisted he be taken to the hospital, and after Kaiba had seen the worried look in Mokuba's eyes, he'd decided that it would be better to take Mokuba to see Yugi. Kaiba didn't know how Yugi was, but he hoped to find out before he let Mokuba anywhere near him.  
  
"Mokuba, wait by those chairs over there, okay? I need to speak to the nurse."  
  
He saw Mokuba turn an annoyed face towards him, before reluctantly sitting down on one of the chairs he'd pointed at. Mokuba's feet moved constantly, burning off excess energy. With a resigned sigh, Kaiba turned towards the nurse manning the station.  
  
"I'm looking for Yugi Moto. He was brought in earlier. Can you tell me what room he's in?"  
  
The nurse gave him a sympathetic glance, before looking down at her computer. After some typing, she returned her attention to him.  
  
"Mr. Moto is in room 423. You can take the elevator up there, sir."  
  
Kaiba nodded, and then walked over to collect Mokuba. "Come on kid, let's go up the elevator."  
  
When they exited on the fourth floor, Kaiba immediately saw the posted room numbers and turned right, following the curve of the corridor until he found the room he was looking for. He was about to reach for the door when it opened, and a very tired Mr. Moto walked out of the room.  
  
The elder man stopped, startled out of his musings. He looked up and his faced hardened immediately when he saw Kaiba.  
  
"You. What are you doing here?"  
  
Kaiba swallowed at the anger in the elder man's voice, but held his ground. He schooled his features into their usual mask of indifference, and made sure that his voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.  
  
"My brother and your grandson are friends and he was concerned for him. I simply brought him so he could see how Yugi was doing."  
  
Yugi's grandfather blinked, then looked down at the silent Mokuba.  
  
"Mokuba, I hadn't seen you there. You can go in and see Yugi if you want. He's still unconscious, but I'm sure he'd appreciate the visit."  
  
Mokuba smiled, glanced up at Kaiba for his okay, and then slowly went into Yugi's room.  
  
"I don't want you anywhere near my grandson," Yugi's grandfather said softly so only Kaiba could hear.  
  
Kaiba felt the familiar anger stirring in his gut. "I didn't do anything to him," he ground out between clenched teeth. "Besides, who do you think brought him here?"  
  
The elder man's features softened momentarily, before the angry mask returned. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
Kaiba squared his shoulders, clearly towering over the man. "I found Joey and Yugi and gave them a ride to the hospital so they wouldn't have to wait for an ambulance."  
  
Yugi's grandfather's features suddenly fell, as if he'd gotten tired of keeping up the angry façade. He took a deep breath, and then let it out. When he looked up again, Kaiba could see unshed tears shinning in his eyes.  
  
"In that case, thank you."  
  
With those words, the elder man walked away, leaving Kaiba standing alone in the hallway.  
  
Kaiba made his way to the door of the private room and looked through the small window. He saw Yugi lying on the bed. He seemed peaceful, as if he were sleeping. There was a bandage around his head, which Kaiba knew couldn't be a good sign. He also saw Mokuba sitting on the edge of Yugi's bed, trying to rearrange the blankets around Yugi to give him more protection. On the other side of the bed he saw Joey. Joey's head lifted in that instant and their eyes met. Even through the door, Kaiba could feel the piercing hatred emanating from Joey. Before he could stop it, Kaiba smirked. Joey's face clouded in anger and he started to get up from the chair. However, he glanced at Yugi momentarily and the fight went out of him. Instead, he slumped back onto the chair and ignored Kaiba.  
  
Kaiba, too, chose to ignore Joey. Instead, he watched Mokuba rearrange Yugi's blankets. He didn't know how or why those two had gotten to be friends, but he had to admit that a deep part of him was glad. Mokuba needed friends and Yugi treated him like he treated everyone else: with respect and honesty. Kaiba hated to admit that he was grateful for that. He also hated to admit that he was worried enough about Yugi to want to walk into the room and ask Joey what was wrong. He held himself in check, however. After a few minutes, Mokuba exited the room.  
  
"Okay, big brother. Thank you for bringing me."  
  
Kaiba looked down at Mokuba and noted that the boy seemed very sad.  
  
"Joey says that Yugi hasn't woken up and that the doctors don't know if he ever will."  
  
Kaiba swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, telling himself that it was because he hated to see Mokuba so upset.  
  
"He'll get better, Mokuba, you'll see."  
  
****  
  
Joey watched Mokuba leave the room, grateful for the solitude. He could hear the Kaiba brothers speaking out in the hall and wished that they would just go away. He liked Mokuba, but could do without seeing Seto.  
  
He sighed and leaned back on the chair. His eyes landed on everything in the room except for Yugi. He couldn't stand to see his friend lying so helpless, especially when there was nothing he could do about it. For the last few hours, he'd kept replaying the events of the day in his head, wondering what he could have done differently to keep this from happening. No matter how often he did it, he couldn't come up with a damn thing. He should have stopped Yugi from leaving school, gone home with him, or he should have reacted faster when he found the pieces of the puzzle. Anything would have been better than what he'd ended up doing.  
  
Joey rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his head in his hands. He should have done something.  
  
"Joey?"  
  
Joey's head snapped up, immediately searching for the owner of the voice. He frowned when he saw that the room was empty. He got up and did an inspection of the room. He even opened the door to look outside. Mr. Moto wasn't back yet, Bakura had gone home for a few hours and the Kaiba brothers were nowhere to be found. Was he hearing things?  
  
"If you can hear me, Joey, answer me."  
  
Joey jumped slightly, startled.  
  
"Who are you? Where are you hiding?"  
  
"I am not hiding. However, I am very weak. It is a miracle that you can hear me."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
There was silence. Joey was beginning to think that he'd been imagining things, when he heard the voice again.  
  
"I am the spirit of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Okay, so why can I hear you? I thought only Yugi could hear you."  
  
There was silence again, and when Joey heard the voice this time, it was much weaker.  
  
"I am desperate. Yugi needs help, and I need to help him. However, I can't do it because the puzzle is in pieces and is not on Yugi."  
  
Joey waited for the spirit to continue, having gone past astonishment and disbelief when the spirit said that Yugi was in trouble. When nothing happened, he spoke again.  
  
"What can I do?"  
  
There was another long pause.  
  
"You can put the puzzle together."  
  
"What? Are you out of your mind? It took Yugi years to put it together in the first place. Even though he was able to put it back together in minutes just a few weeks ago, that doesn't mean that I can do it."  
  
"You have to try. I can barely feel Yugi's spirit, but it is troubled. I must help him. Take the puzzle out, put it around Yugi's neck and put it together, Joey. It is Yugi's only chance."  
  
****  
  
Can Joey put the puzzle together, or is it going to be too late for Yami to help? And what's up with Kaiba? Is he getting soft in his rip old age. just kidding. More to come soon! 


	5. Control

Greetings! Here's the next part.  
  
This one is rather odd, and I have to apologize in advance if I totally get Bakura wrong. He's the one character I haven't been able to understand, but I like Bakura (not Yami Bakura) and I wanted to include him in this. If I get it wrong, someone please feel to explain him to me. I'd really appreciate it.  
  
Thank you, as always, for all the reviews! I'm so glad that you're all enjoying the story.  
  
** .** denotes Yami Bakura to Bakura *.* denotes Bakura to Yami Bakura  
  
Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 5: Control  
  
Bakura quickly walked out of the elevator and headed towards Yugi's room. He'd stopped by Téa's house on the way back from his own to tell her what the doctors had said about Yugi. Her parents hadn't been too happy for the disruption, but they'd understood when he'd explained to them what had happened. Téa hadn't been allowed to come with him, but she'd promised to make it to the hospital before school the next day.  
  
He opened the door to the room and stopped at the threshold. Yugi lay on his bed, his condition still unchanged. Joey sat on the bed beside him, diligently working on putting together the puzzle, which now lay on Yugi's chest.  
  
"Joey, what are you doing?"  
  
Bakura saw Joey's head whip up in surprise, and then his face relaxed when he saw who it was.  
  
"This is going to sound really crazy, Bakura, but the spirit inside the puzzle told me to put it together so he could help Yugi. I can't begin to understand how all of this works, but I'm going to go with him and trust him on this."  
  
Bakura nodded, fully stepping into the room. He closed the door behind him and walked to the bed, his eyes immediately falling on the half finished puzzle. He could feel the spirit inside of his Millennium Ring stirring at the sight of the Millennium Puzzle, and Bakura hoped that he could retain control of the body long enough to excuse himself and leave the room. He was afraid of what his spirit would do to Yugi now that the younger teen was practically helpless.  
  
"Can you really put it together, Joey? I thought it had taken Yugi a long time to do it."  
  
Joey laughed, but Bakura could tell that it was a nervous laugh. "I have no idea. I'm just putting in pieces, hoping they'll fit. I've only managed to put a few in, the rest just keep popping off."  
  
Joey shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. In that moment, Bakura could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Why don't you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat, Joey? I'll stay with Yugi until you or his grandfather comes back."  
  
Bakura could see the indecision in Joey's eyes and his posture, as he looked from the unconscious boy on the bed to him. He slowly stood up from the bed, nodding as if he were having an argument with himself. Bakura waited patiently, until Joey redirected his attention to him.  
  
"Okay, if you're sure. I'd really like to go take a walk and get something to drink. Take care of him, okay Bakura?"  
  
Bakura smiled and nodded his agreement. "Of course I will, Joey. You go ahead."  
  
With one last look at Yugi, Joey left the room.  
  
Bakura found himself alone in the semi-dark room, watching as his friend's chest rose and fell rhythmically as he breathed. His gaze drifted from Yugi's face down to the Millennium Puzzle, and he felt the tingling sensation in his body that signified his Yami was trying to take over the body. Before he knew it, he was no longer looking at Yugi, but at a dark and dreary hallway that went on for as far as he could see.  
  
*NO* Bakura yelled. *Don't do this, not now!* His desperation was clearly heard in his mind's voice, but he doubted that his Yami would care.  
  
**Quiet, you brat!** came the contemptuous reply. **You have no idea what I'm going to do**  
  
*Yes, I do. You tried to take the puzzle before, remember? You said yourself that it was useless to you unless it was complete*  
  
Bakura yelled as he ran down the endless corridor, even though he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere. It made him feel as if he were doing something, so he kept running.  
  
**Yugi isn't the only one who can complete the puzzle. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone else. As long as the cursed Pharaoh and this little brat whose body he inhibits are eliminated, there'll be no one else to stand in my way**  
  
Those words cut through Bakura like knifes. He knew that the spirit of the ring was dangerous, deadly even. He'd been the innocent bystander as his Yami did horrible things while using his body, all because he felt that he was entitled. But even the duel in the shadow realm that his Yami had fought with Yugi's Yami for the souls of Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa hadn't left him feeling as desperate and afraid as he was now. His Yami would kill Yugi, of that he had no doubt.  
  
*You gain nothing by killing Yugi,* Bakura tried again, even though he knew that reasoning wouldn't get him anywhere.  
  
**You are mistaken. I gain everything by killing him.**  
  
Bakura couldn't see what was happening outside of his mind, but he could hear perfectly well. He heard tinkling, which he knew was due to the spirit picking up the pieces of the puzzle.  
  
**Such innocence, such youth** Yami Bakura said, and Bakura could practically see the smirk that would surely be plastered on his face. He could also feel the unadulterated hate that his Yami felt for his friend. **A flick of my hand is all it takes to end your short life, Yugi**  
  
Bakura drew into himself, calling upon every ounce of stored energy and power he possessed. He was going to regain control of his body, or die trying. There was no way he was going to stand by while the spirit of the ring killed his friend. He knew that he could be signing his own death warrant if he managed to regain control of his body before his Yami was willing to surrender it, but it would be preferable to living with the guilt of watching as a friend was killed.  
  
*YOU WILL NOT KILL HIM*  
  
Suddenly, Bakura could see again. He regained his vision to find that his hands were wrapped around Yugi's throat. He felt the strain in his fingers and immediately relaxed his hands. He immediately stumbled back, gasping in horror at what had almost happened. The heart monitor attached to Yugi was beeping loudly, the heart rhythm indicator dancing wildly all over the screen. Yugi's breathing was labored, but was still there. Bakura clenched his hands into fists and continued to back up until his back hit the wall.  
  
He stood there, gaping, until a doctor and two nurses ran into the room. They took one look at him, and then looked at Yugi. They immediately rushed towards him and swept the puzzle pieces off his chest and onto the bed as they removed the blanket to gain access to his chest.  
  
Bakura didn't stand around any longer. He ran out of the room, almost knocking over a shocked and worried Tristan.  
  
"Hey," Tristan shouted, but Bakura didn't pay him any attention.  
  
He continued to run down the hall, until he came to a lounge area. He saw a small balcony to one side of it and immediately went outside, roughly closing the door behind him. He sank to his knees in the darkness, tears already spilling down his cheeks.  
  
Why had he been cursed with such a wretched and evil spirit? How was he supposed to live his life when he had to constantly be on alert for what his Yami might decide to do? He couldn't do it. he couldn't take it anymore. He covered his face with his hands and began to sob.  
  
He was lost in his misery, until he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He immediately pulled away and then turned to see a very worried Tristan staring back at him.  
  
"What's wrong Bakura? What happened in Yugi's room?"  
  
Bakura couldn't speak. Instead, he continued to stare at his friend, trying to stem the flow of his tears. He knew that Tristan would understand about Yami Bakura, because Tristan had deal with him for a short while on Pegasus' island.  
  
"He tried to kill Yugi," Bakura finally whispered, deciding to be honest.  
  
Tristan's eyes narrowed in confusion, before he seemed to understand. "The spirit of the ring, you mean?"  
  
Bakura nodded. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been there. I tried..." he broke off, not sure how to explain what had happened.  
  
"You fought him and you won, Bakura. Yugi's fine. Well, he's as fine as he can be under the circumstances. The doctors seem to think that his heart arrested momentarily, but he's going to be okay."  
  
Bakura nodded again, relieved that he hadn't done any more harm.  
  
"What am I going to do?" Bakura whispered, mostly to himself.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tristan asked, looking at him kindly and without blame.  
  
"Help me, Tristan."  
  
****  
  
Joey sat beside Yugi on the bed once again.  
  
The doctors had just left the room after stabilizing Yugi. Joey didn't know what had happened, except that Tristan had said he'd seen Bakura running out of the room. Tristan had gone after Bakura and hadn't returned yet. Joey hoped that Bakura's evil spirit hadn't returned. If he had, Joey didn't know how they were going to fight him.  
  
"Alright, Yug, it's time for you to wake up. I'm not going to be able to put this thing together, so you have to help me. Come on, buddy, open those eyes. The spirit of the puzzle is trying to help, but he needs me to do it and I can't. I really need you to be here with me."  
  
"You are doing fine, Joey."  
  
Joey jumped at the sound of the voice, but calmed down when he realized that the spirit of the puzzle was talking to him again. He looked down at the puzzle piece in his hands and carefully slid it into a slot on the side. The piece clicked softly as it went in and Joey sighed when the piece stayed in place.  
  
"Glad you think so. I, for one, am not convinced."  
  
"You do not have to put the entire puzzle together. I am getting stronger."  
  
Joey nodded. "You said you were going to help Yugi, but you never told me how you were going to do it."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Yugi has lost his faith in himself and in his friends, and is teetering on the edge of an abyss. One wrong move and he will be lost to us forever. I must remind him that his life is worth living; that he has something to come back to."  
  
"Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"Talk to him, Joey. Tell him that you want him to wake up."  
  
"What good is that going to do?" Joey asked, examining his friend's peaceful face.  
  
"It will give him a reason to live."  
  
****  
  
Yugi was finally able to pull oxygen into his lungs, the effort having left him completely exhausted. He was on his knees next to the stream where he'd talked to Téa, shaking and sweating with the effort to draw air. He wasn't sure what had happened, except that he suddenly couldn't breathe. Once he'd managed to restore his breathing to normal, he looked up to the silently observing Pegasus.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Pegasus shrugged. "I don't know, Yugi-boy, but I'd guess that someone just tried to end your life prematurely."  
  
Yugi frowned. "Why?"  
  
Pegasus actually laughed, irritating Yugi. He got up and stood facing Pegasus.  
  
"You are such an innocent boy, Yugi. Why do you think you're standing here, talking to me? Or I should say lying in a coma in the hospital. Do you not remember what happened to you on the way home from school?"  
  
"I remember," Yugi whispered, once again seeing the dark alley and feeling his body being battered. He felt a shudder run through him and unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself.  
  
"Well then, by now you should know that the world is a dangerous place, and that you have your own enemies; people who would rather see you dead."  
  
Yugi drew himself back from the memories of that dark alley, instead choosing to focus on Pegasus.  
  
"I don't want to hurt my friends."  
  
That was what was really scaring him. What if the people that had attacked him chose to go after his friends instead? He couldn't let that happen.  
  
"Ah, such sweet devotion, Yugi. I'm very impressed. Friendship isn't going to keep you safe, however. It isn't going to keep you from being hurt."  
  
Yugi shook his head, denying what Pegasus was saying. "You're wrong, Pegasus. Friendship is what allowed the spirit of the puzzle to beat you on the island, even when you thought you'd destroyed my soul. Friendship is everything, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? After all, you have no friends."  
  
Pegasus' smile faltered, and then disappeared altogether. He frowned instead, before turning on his heel and walking away. Yugi watched him go, before finding a small rock and plopping down onto it. He was tired of fighting, tired of arguing. He wanted peace and quiet, he wanted to be left alone.  
  
He claimed to believe in friendship, and yet his friends had shown up to him only to denounce him. Joey and Tristan had, at least. Why would they do that? Was he kidding himself in believing that he'd finally managed the one thing he'd wanted for as long as he could remember? He'd been tired of being alone then and had wished for a friend. The puzzle had given him Yami, but it had also given him Joey, Tristan, Téa and, indirectly, Mai. Was it all real, or had he been imaging it the whole time? Had their friendship simply been a figment of his imagination?  
  
"Do you really believe that, Yugi? If you do, then there really is no hope."  
  
Yugi turned around and saw Yami walking slowly towards him. He frowned, wondering what was in store for him now.  
  
**~~**  
  
YAY! Yami finally makes an appearance. I couldn't have Joey put together the whole puzzle, just enough to make Yami stronger. More to come soon! 


	6. Best of Friends

Greetings. Sorry for the delay in getting this part out. Hopefully, it was worth the wait.  
  
Thanks, as always, for all the reviews! I'm feeling more confident in my writing, so I might extend this story out a bit more than I originally planned. Any thoughts on whether I should do it or not would be appreciated.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 6: Best of Friends  
  
Yugi watched Yami carefully, his anxiety rising as the spirit got closer and closer. Everyone he'd met in this dream state, with the exception of Téa, had made it absolutely clear that they'd be better off if he weren't around anymore. It had been devastating to hear that from Joey and Tristan, and Yugi didn't think that he could survive hearing it from Yami too.  
  
He didn't say anything, waiting patiently for Yami to approach. The spirit walked purposely forward, but Yugi could tell that his movements were slow, and that his face was shadowed with exhaustion. Could an apparition really seem tired?  
  
"Your negative thoughts will be your undoing, Aibou."  
  
Yugi's eyebrows raised in surprise at not hearing what he thought he would hear.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Yami was standing directly in front of him now, and Yugi could see the worry on the spirit's face. He smiled slightly, and reached out to put his arms around Yugi. Yugi tensed momentarily, before letting himself relax and return the embrace. When he stepped back, his smile matched Yami's.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
Yami shrugged, but the spirit managed to make the move seem elegant and refined.  
  
"I have been trapped in the puzzle for the past few days, Yugi, imagining nothing but the worst about what happened to you. Our link was broken so suddenly that it took me a while to realize that the puzzle had been unassembled again. All I could sense were your conflicting thoughts and feelings, along with your sense of loss and desire to give up." Yami took a deep breath, and patted Yugi's shoulder before finally releasing him. "It is good to see you well."  
  
Yugi frowned, Yami's words hitting a chord with him. "What do you mean, you've been trapped in the puzzle? You're not another apparition come to taunt me?"  
  
Yami raised one eyebrow at the inquiry, before shaking his head. "Technically, I am an apparition. I have always been one, as only you can see me. I don't believe I'm an apparition in the sense that you mean, and I certainly am not here to taunt you."  
  
Yami turned around and examined his surroundings. He chuckled softly as he took in the moonlit landscape and bright stars.  
  
"Nice place you have here. It's nothing like your soul room in the puzzle. I don't know why, but I assumed that your subconscious mind would be bright and airy." He turned to Yugi. "I am the dark half of you, after all."  
  
Yugi took a look around his surroundings once again and shrugged. "My subconscious has its dark side too, Yami. It's just dormant most of the time. I guess this is a representation of it."  
  
Yami nodded, as if he understood exactly what Yugi was telling him.  
  
Yugi walked over to the boulder and once again plopped himself down upon it. He studied Yami as he studied his surroundings, feeling the weariness finally descend, making his soul feel heavy as if it were weighted with stones.  
  
"You didn't answer my question."  
  
"What question was that?"  
  
"What you meant when you said that my negative thoughts will be my undoing."  
  
Yami walked over to the boulder and sat down beside Yugi.  
  
"Before I explain, tell me what happened? Why didn't you call me for help?"  
  
Yugi looked away, instead choosing to study the darkened blades of grass at his feet. He didn't want to think about what had happened in the alley. The experience was still clear in his mind, as was the memory of the pain those two men had inflicted on him. He didn't want to remember how helpless he'd been, or how violent they'd been. Yami's presence beside him, however, gave him a measure of strength.  
  
"I didn't have time to call for you, Yami. Before I knew it, the puzzle was in pieces. I tried to fight back, but I couldn't."  
  
Yugi's voice broke as the tears welled up in his eyes. An overwhelming feeling of failure engulfed him, making him wish that the injuries had taken his life so he wouldn't have to deal with it, much less explain it to someone much more powerful and better able to take care of himself than him.  
  
"They wanted to know where my God card was. They said that Seto Kaiba had one, so I must have one as well. They insisted I give it to them, but I didn't know what they were talking about."  
  
Yugi paused to collect his whirling emotions and to wipe the tears that had fallen down his cheeks. He didn't glance up at Yami because he was afraid of what he would see in the spirit's face.  
  
"I tried to tell them that I didn't know what they were talking about, tried to reason, but they didn't believe me. They thought I was lying to them, and they hurt me to make me tell them what they wanted. But I didn't know what they wanted.."  
  
Yugi trailed off and buried his face in his hands, trying hard to control the sobs that wanted to rip from his body. He remembered the desperation he felt at not being able to get through to his attackers, the fear and the helplessness at not being able to protect himself, the anger at being attacked, and the numbing pain in every part of his body. He closed his eyes, but opened them when a flash of him on the floor, wanting to shrink in on himself and disappear as the two men kept hitting him threatened to overwhelm him. He quickly jerked upright, and found a strong hand encircling his shoulders.  
  
"The memories hold only the power that you give them," Yami said soothingly. "It is not right to forget or deny the experience, because it is a part of you. You must understand that it is okay to seek help, reach out to someone else while you're dealing with the memories."  
  
Yugi nodded absently, his cheek rubbing against Yami's chest. He took a few more moments to compose himself, before he pulled away to find Yami looking at him serenely.  
  
"The puzzle was shattered, Yami. How can you be here?"  
  
Yami actually smiled. "You have your friend Joey to thank for that."  
  
Yugi's jaw dropped in surprise. "Joey put the puzzle back together? Not that I think he couldn't do it with enough time, but it took me forever to do it the first time."  
  
"No, little one, Joey didn't complete the puzzle. He did put enough pieces back to allow me to come to you."  
  
"I see. So why are you here?"  
  
Yami let his arm drop back to his side, and he looked around at the landscape. "I am here to tell you that it is time to return. You do not belong here, nor do you belong in the afterlife."  
  
Yugi listened to Yami's words, frowning. "They don't want me. I'm a nuisance to them. I can't help or protect them and they all have to do it for me. My friends would be a lot better off if I wasn't around."  
  
Yami regarded him carefully, weighing what he'd just said. "What about me? Do you think you're a nuisance to me?"  
  
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat and glanced away from Yami. "Aren't I? You drove the bullies away, you can protect my friends while I can't. You're a great duelist, so what couldn't you do without me? Except for maybe exist. After all, you do need the body."  
  
As soon as he'd said the words, Yugi wished he could call them back. Yami's face immediately hardened and he got up from the bolder he'd been sitting on. Yugi opened his mouth to apologize, but then realized that what he'd said was true. Yami did need his body to survive.  
  
Yami's back was to him, but Yugi could still hear the words.  
  
"You are correct, Yugi. I do need your body to live. However, that is not the reason for my presence here. I have lived inside the puzzle for millennia already; I could easily do so again. If you die, I remain in the puzzle until someone else puts it together. After everything we've been through together since you finished the puzzle the first time, I can not understand why you feel that way."  
  
He paused for a moment before pressing on.  
  
"The truth is that I would feel lost without you, and not because I need your body. You're a strong, intelligent and courageous young man, even if you don't see it yourself. I have grown quite fond of you and do not wish for you to die."  
  
Yugi sighed, feeling even guiltier than he had before. The sadness in Yami's tone was as touching as it was heartbreaking. Yugi found that he was angry, he was tired and afraid, but it wasn't Yami's fault that he'd been attacked.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I mean, I did, but just as a fact. I know that you're here to help me and I appreciate it. You're probably the only one that would want to."  
  
Yami turned to face him then, nodding in acceptance of the apology. "I am not the only one who is willing to help you, Yugi. All you had to do to find that out was listen. I am not the only one that wishes for you to return to your body and awaken."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Yami opened his arms, encompassing everything around him. "We're in your mind, so all you have to do is truly listen to what its hearing. Close your eyes and pay attention."  
  
Yugi figured that he had nothing to lose, so he did as Yami instructed. He closed his eyes, and concentrated.  
  
"Come on, Yug, wake up. It's been way too long already and we're missing you."  
  
Yugi smiled when he heard Joey's heartfelt words. He kept his eyes closed, letting himself bathe in the warmth Joey was sending him.  
  
"I don't know if I'm doing this puzzle thing right, or if Yami is going to be able to help you, but I'm going to keep trying until you open up those eyes, you hear me? Don't you dare check out on us now, Yug."  
  
"Is that wise?"  
  
Yugi recognized the second voice as Téa's.  
  
"Is what wise?"  
  
"You messing with the puzzle."  
  
"Yami asked me to, he said that he needed more pieces put together to get into Yugi's mind."  
  
"Oh, I hope he was able to. I want Yugi to wake up. He's got to wake up, Joey, he can't die.. He can't leave us."  
  
"I know, Téa, I know. I'd be lost without him too."  
  
Yugi opened his eyes to find Yami staring at him. "You see? I'm not the only one that cares."  
  
Yugi nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself momentarily, before squaring his shoulders. He smiled.  
  
"Maybe it is time to go back."  
  
****  
  
"How can I help you, Bakura?"  
  
Bakura glanced up at Tristan, comforted by the concern in his eyes. He didn't know how to explain, all he knew was that he wanted it all to stop. He reached up to his face and hastily wiped his tears, before looking back at his friend.  
  
"I don't know. I really don't know.." He trailed off when his emotions started clashing again. He took a deep, cleansing, breath to calm down, but found himself still shaking slightly. "You've seen the evil spirit before, so you know what he's capable of doing. Even now I can hear him laughing at me in the back of my mind."  
  
Tristan reached out to grab Bakura's arms and slowly helped him stand up. He guided the shorter teen to one of the chairs and sat down to listen. Bakura smiled gratefully at him, while at the same time, fearing that his Yami would take over the body again and harm Tristan.  
  
"How did you get the ring back after I threw it away?"  
  
Bakura shrugged. "I really don't know. When control of the body returned to me, I had it again."  
  
Tristan nodded, knowing that he wasn't going to get much more of an answer than that.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tristan, this isn't really your problem."  
  
Tristan smiled. "You're my friend, Bakura. Even if I can't help you deal with the spirit, I can be here to listen when you need to talk."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Tristan got up and motioned for Bakura to do the same. "Come on."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Back to Yugi's room."  
  
Bakura took an immediate step back, away from Tristan. "No, I'm not going back there, not after what I.."  
  
"You didn't try to do anything, Bakura, it wasn't you. You have to go back, Yugi is counting on all of us to be there for him. Come on, I'll be with you."  
  
After a long moment, Bakura nodded. He let Tristan take his arm and lead him back into the hospital.  
  
****  
  
"This is impossible!"  
  
Joey threw down a few of the puzzle pieces that he had in his hand, wincing when one landed by Yugi's chin. He was alone in the room, after Téa had left to check on Gramps, but that didn't stop him from talking to himself.  
  
"I could be seriously screwing with the puzzle. I mean, who's to say I haven't already? I haven't heard from Yami, so what if he's gone because I put this thing together wrong?"  
  
He closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down. He couldn't lose his patience or his confidence. Yugi was counting on him, and he had to be there for him no matter what."  
  
"Yami was busy talking to me."  
  
Joey's head jerked up so fast at the sound of the soft voice that he got a bit dizzy. When his vision cleared, he found himself staring into a pair of violet eyes. He grinned widely and took Yugi's hands.  
  
"It's about time!"  
  
**~~**  
  
YAY, Yugi is awake! More to come soon ( I hope). 


	7. Avoidance

Hello again!  
  
I just have to say that I have the absolute best reviewers! You all rock! Give yourselves a big round of applause.. *hands clapping energetically* Thank you so much!!  
  
Enjoy the next installment!  
  
*~* Yami to Yugi *~*  
  
*~~* Yugi to Yami *~~*  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Part 7: Avoidance  
  
"It's about time!"  
  
Yugi smiled at the outburst, glad to see the sheer happiness and relief in Joey's face. Suddenly and without warning, Joey grabbed his shoulders, lifted him up and tightly embraced him. Yugi groaned in pain before he could stop himself, causing Joey to immediately release him. Yugi lay back on the bed, wincing.  
  
"I'm sorry, Yugi, I should have been more careful."  
  
"It's okay, Joey," Yugi said, feeling bad at the look of guilt on Joey's face. "I'm just still a little sore."  
  
A little sore was seriously undermining the pain, however. Yugi's body felt as if it had been used for punching practice, which he supposed in a way, it had been. He looked down at his hands, seeing the white cast surrounding his right wrist and the two splints around his fingers. He lowered the sheet and winced even more at the sight of his bruised arms. He didn't have to look to see that his chest and legs probably looked the same.  
  
"They did quite a number on you, Yug. What happened? Who attacked you?"  
  
Yugi looked back up at his friend, debating whether or not to be entirely truthful. He wanted to tell Joey what had happened, but he didn't want to involve his friend in something he knew was bound to be dangerous.  
  
"I don't really remember what happened, Joey."  
  
*~* Lying to your best friend, Yugi? *~*  
  
*~~* It's not a lie, it's an omission, Yami *~~*  
  
"Yugi, you okay? You're spacing out."  
  
Yugi smiled slightly, trying to reassure his friend. "I'm fine, Joey. Just a bit confused. How did I get here?"  
  
Yugi saw Joey take a deep breath as he deposited his long body into a chair beside the bed. Yugi could see the differing emotions flickering through Joey's eyes and knew that whatever happened had left a deep impression on the older teenager. He reached out and lay his right hand on top of the hand Joey had left on the bed, trying to comfort his friend. Joey looked up at him and grinned sheepishly, before getting serious.  
  
"Téa and I found you in the alley. Geez, Yug, I thought you were dead. There was so much blood and you looked so pale." Joey trailed off, and Yugi could see that Joey's other hand had been clenched into a fist. "I didn't know what to do. I literally ran into Kaiba as we were leaving the alley and demanded that he bring us to the hospital in his car. He obliged, and here we are."  
  
"Kaiba brought me here?"  
  
Joey nodded. "Hard to believe, isn't it? The cold hearted bastard actually has a heart. Either that, or he didn't like the fact that I reminded him that he owed you for saving him and Mokuba from Pegasus."  
  
Yugi nodded, understanding the situation. He felt guilty that his friends had gotten involved in this. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair.  
  
*~* It's not your fault, Yugi, you know that. *~*  
  
*~~* It is my fault. Look at Joey, he feels so bad about what happened and he wasn't responsible at all. *~~*  
  
*~* Joey is your friend, of course he feels responsible *~*  
  
"I should go and get the doctor, Yugi. I should get Gramps in there too, he's been really worried."  
  
Yugi nodded and watched Joey go. He closed his eyes, letting himself feel every ache, every broken bone and bruised part of his body. He felt weak, disoriented and very tired. He wanted to close his eyes and sleep for a very long time.  
  
"Yugi!"  
  
The relieved and happy voice brought Yugi back to wakefulness, and he found himself staring at his grandfather's tear filled eyes. Thankfully, his grandfather was standing very close to him, or else Yugi would have had a hard time distinguishing him.  
  
"Grandpa."  
  
His grandfather walked carefully to the bed, leaned over and kissed Yugi's forehead, before taking his uninjured hand and squeezing it between his own.  
  
"How are you feeling, Yugi? You had us all so worried."  
  
"I'm okay. I'm in a little pain, but I'm okay."  
  
Yugi looked behind his grandfather to see Joey standing there. Tea stood beside him, along with Tristan. Bakura stood behind all the others, close to the door. Upon more careful inspection, Yugi noticed that the only thing keeping Bakura in the room was Tristan's grasp on the boy's arm.  
  
"Bakura, are you okay?"  
  
The white haired boy seemed startled at being addressed. He looked at Yugi momentarily, before bowing his head.  
  
"I'm fine, Yugi. I'm glad to see you're okay," came the soft reply.  
  
Yugi frowned and noticed Tristan looking at him. The teenager shook his head slightly, signaling to Yugi to drop the subject. Yugi frowned, but decided to comply. He'd ask Tristan about it later. He looked at the rest of his friends and smiled gratefully.  
  
"Thank you for being here. It means so much to me."  
  
They all smiled widely.  
  
"It was our pleasure Yugi," Téa said.  
  
"Yeah, we're just glad you're okay," Tristan added.  
  
"Okay, kids, I need you to leave the room now so I can examine my patient," an older, kind gentleman said as he walked into the room. He walked up to Yugi and smiled at him.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Moto, you gave us quite a scare. I'm Dr. Suzuki, your physician. How are you feeling?"  
  
Yugi looked up at the man and smiled slightly. "I'm fine."  
  
Dr. Suzuki turned to everyone else. "Could you all please leave the room? I'd like to talk to Yugi for a few minutes."  
  
They all nodded and complied, closing the door behind them.  
  
"Okay, they're all gone now. Why don't you tell me how you really feel?"  
  
Yugi examined the doctor, noting his relaxed posture and kind demeanor. He was tempted to lie to the man, but he figured that as his doctor, it was his duty to know what was going on.  
  
"My head hurts," Yugi said and raised his left hand to probe at the bandage around his head. He stopped at the right temple and pressed down a bit. "Right here, it's worse."  
  
The doctor nodded. "You had a skull fracture, Yugi. That's why you were unconscious for so long. The headache is a normal part of the recovery. Are you experiencing any dizziness or nausea?"  
  
Yugi thought about it for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "I am a bit dizzy and I'm having some trouble seeing." His eyes widened as he looked up at the doctor. "It's not permanent, is it?"  
  
The doctor chuckled. "No, it isn't. The swelling in your brain hasn't completely gone down, which is why your vision is blurred, and why you're dizzy and nauseous. Give it a couple of days and it'll be gone. How does the rest of your body feel?"  
  
Yugi sighed and closed his eyes again. "It hurts. I feel like I've been run over."  
  
Dr. Suzuki opened up the chart he was carrying and began writing in it.  
  
"You took quite a beating, Yugi. Over time, you will recover. However, you have to take it easy. We have you on antibiotics to fight any possible infection, on painkillers for the pain, and on saline to hydrate you. You'll have to stay here a few more days, before I can release you to go home. For now, get some sleep. I'll tell your family and friends that you're going to be okay."  
  
"Thank you, doctor."  
  
The doctor nodded and left the room.  
  
*~* You're lying to your doctor too? *~*  
  
Yugi sighed as he heard his other half's voice in his head. He didn't fell like arguing with Yami about what information he was or was not willing to give.  
  
*~~* I didn't lie. I told him that I felt lousy, didn't I? *~~*  
  
*~* Not really. You told him what you thought he wanted to hear. Your vision is a lot more than blurry, and you know it. You should tell him that you can barely see anything. *~*  
  
*~~* I don't want grandpa and everyone else to worry. The doctor said it would go away in a few days and it will. I need to get out of there, though *~~*  
  
*~* Why, Yugi? Where do you need to go? *~*  
  
*~~* I need to talk to Kaiba *~~*  
  
****  
  
"Big brother, why don't we go to the hospital to see Yugi?"  
  
Seto Kaiba looked up from his computer to find Mokuba perched on his desk, staring at him intently. The younger boy's hair was disheveled, a clear sign that he'd been outside playing.  
  
"We were just there yesterday, Mokuba."  
  
"We didn't get anywhere near Yugi's room, Seto. You didn't want to go in because Mr. Moto was there, remember?"  
  
Kaiba nodded once, signaling that he did remember. After that initial confrontation, he hadn't wanted to get anywhere near Yugi's grandfather. He felt uncharacteristically guilty about what he'd done to the old man, and seeing him at the hospital that one time, distraught and worried about his grandson, just made it seem that much worse.  
  
"The doctor said that Yugi was still in a coma We overheard him. He said that other than that, Yugi was fine."  
  
"But I want to go see him for myself, Seto. Can't we go?"  
  
Kaiba sighed. He hated to argue with Mokuba when the younger boy got like this. He was about to open his mouth to say something else, when the phone rang. He frowned, but picked it up.  
  
"Kaiba."  
  
There was silence on the line, until the person on the other end spoke.  
  
"This is Solomon Moto. I'm calling to speak to Mokuba."  
  
Kaiba frowned, wondering why Yugi's grandfather would be calling his little brother.  
  
"He's right here, just a moment." Kaiba shrugged and handed the phone to Mokuba. "It's Yugi's grandfather."  
  
Mokuba's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he took the phone.  
  
"Mr. Moto?"  
  
Kaiba couldn't hear what was being said, but he did see Mokuba's eyes light up and his mouth quirk up in a grin.  
  
"That's great! I'm on my way over, thank you for telling me," Mokuba said, then hung up the phone.  
  
"Yugi's awake, Seto. You have to take me to see him."  
  
Kaiba sighed, knowing when he was beat. He felt relief, knowing that the younger Moto was awake. He didn't know why, but it was slightly disconcerting.  
  
"Fine, let's go."  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Well, there you have it. What's wrong with Yugi? Is it *really* going to go away? Stay tuned to find out. More Kaiba in the next chapter, I promise! 


	8. The Best Laid Plans

Greetings! Welcome to the next little chapter..  
  
I know I said that Kaiba would be in this chapter a lot, but that didn't happen. He originally was in the chapter, but it got a little long so I had to break it up into two. You'll see him in the next one.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews!! You're all the best!  
  
**~~**  
  
  
  
Part 8: The Best Laid Plans  
  
"All finished!"  
  
Yugi beamed as he looked down at his chest where the now fully assembled Millennium Puzzle lay. Joey had given him all of the pieces, claiming that putting the thing together was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to try to do. Yugi had laughed at his friend's theatrics, but had appreciated what pieces Joey had managed to put together.  
  
"And you said I couldn't assemble it half blind, Yami."  
  
Yugi felt Yami's distress at the careless mention of his current condition and felt guilty for being so blasé about it. He couldn't help it. If he let himself get serious about it, he'd dissolve into childish tears at the unfairness of it all. He didn't want to do that.  
  
*~* That was not funny, Yugi *~*  
  
Yugi sighed and leaned back against the pillows. He still hurt, even though the doctor had given him plenty of painkillers. He'd sent everyone home as well so Yugi could rest, but Yugi found himself missing his friends and his grandfather. He closed his eyes, sending an apologetic wave to Yami.  
  
**~~** I know it wasn't funny, and I'm sorry. I just don't want to think about it, Yami. It's going to be okay, you'll see **~~**  
  
Yami remained quiet, and Yugi did not initiate further conversation. His mind kept going back to what the men that had attacked him had said. He had no idea what a God card was, but he felt that he needed to find out. He was sure that Seto Kaiba was the person he needed to speak to about that, since the goons had mentioned his name.  
  
'What if they were working for him?' Yugi thought to himself. 'What if Kaiba sent them to get the card away from me? He kidnapped my grandfather and forced him into a duel that caused him to have a heart attack for the Blue Eyes White Dragon card once, so what's to stop him from coming after me?'  
  
He shook his head, dragging himself out of those thoughts. Joey had told him that Kaiba had brought him to the hospital and had seemed shocked at what had happened. From what Joey had said, it didn't seem as if Kaiba had been involved at all. He had to find out one way or another, though.  
  
Carefully, he pushed the covers back and gingerly pulled himself up to a sitting position on his hospital bed. His chest hurt, but he could deal with that. He slid his legs out of bed and gingerly placed them on the floor, shivering slightly as the coldness of the tiles seeped into his bare feet.  
  
"Yugi, what are you doing?"  
  
Yugi looked up, startled at the voice, only to find Yami standing at the foot of the bed, watching him.  
  
"I'm going to go talk to Kaiba."  
  
Yami frowned and shook his head. "Are you out of your mind? You're recovering from a head injury, you can't leave this room."  
  
"I have to, Yami. I have to know what those creeps were talking about and Kaiba is the only one who can tell me."  
  
He got to his feet, sighing in relief when he didn't feel dizzy. He made his way to where his clothes should be kept and frowned when he found the drawer empty. He opened up a couple of other drawers and found them empty as well. He looked around the room, but didn't see a suitcase.  
  
"Grandpa must not have brought me any clothes," Yugi muttered.  
  
He spotted a backpack lying in one corner of the room and made his way slowly to it. He lifted it onto the bed and opened it up. Inside, he found some school books and a few items of clothing. Yugi pulled out what looked to be a pair of blue jeans and unfolded them, wincing as he realized that they were way too long for him.  
  
"That is Joey's backpack," Yami said as he remained standing by the bed.  
  
"Yeah, it is. He carries extra clothes in here sometimes when he knows he's not going home." Yugi broke off and took out the shirt that was also in the backpack. "I think I can wear these."  
  
Yami frowned. "Joey is substantially taller than you are. How do you propose to manage fitting into his clothes?"  
  
Yugi smiled slightly at Yami. "Just watch me."  
  
A few minutes later, Yugi was finished. Joey's jeans were being held onto his waist by a piece of chord he'd grabbed from the curtains, while the legs had been folded quite a few times to accommodate Yugi's shorter legs. Joey's shirt had been tucked into the jeans and then pulled out slightly to cover the makeshift belt. Yugi nodded his satisfaction at the finished product and walked into the bathroom where he was surprised to find his tennis shoes. He grinned in triumph and put them on without socks.  
  
He walked over to the mirror, squinted in the brightly lit room, and winced at his reflection.  
  
"I can't go out of here looking like this," he stated as he reached up to remove the bandages from around his head. He gasped as he saw the small, shaved spot on the side of his head. "What did they do to me?" When he realized why they'd had to shave his head and saw the resulting stitches from the operation, he sobered up and began to have second thoughts about leaving the hospital.  
  
"I told you it wasn't a good idea to leave."  
  
Yugi heard Yami's voice closer to him and turned to see a shadow by the door to the bathroom. After a little while, the shadow became visible as Yami.  
  
"I have to go, Yami. Kaiba isn't going to come to me and I need answers. I have to talk to him."  
  
Yugi turned back to the mirror and sighed. After a few minutes, he managed to rework his hair so that his golden bangs covered the shaved spot on his head. It wouldn't be good for someone to notice that and come after him for leaving the hospital early so he had to make sure that he appeared normal. Thankfully, the sleeves of Joey's short sleeve shirt went down to his elbows so the bruises on his arms weren't very noticeable.  
  
"Yugi, this is a mistake. Can you not call Kaiba and ask him to come?"  
  
Yugi whirled around to face Yami, but the movement made him dizzy and he had to reach out to steady himself on the sink. When the room stopped spinning, he straightened up and faced Yami.  
  
"He wouldn't come. I'm doing this whether you agree with me or not."  
  
Yugi left the bathroom and peeked out the front door to make sure that no one was coming. He felt a bit self conscious walking around in borrowed clothing, especially since the legs of the jeans were bunched up at his ankles. It looked like he was wearing flotation devices, which went absolutely beautifully with the billowing sleeves of Joey's long shirt. He looked like a little boy in his father's clothing and hoped that Joey wouldn't see him like this.  
  
"I have to go with you, but I don't think it's a good idea. Just so you know," Yami said, then disappeared into the puzzle. Yugi sighed, but decided to continue on ahead anyway.  
  
He stepped out of his room and walked towards the elevator as quickly as he could. He was almost there when a loud voice stopped him.  
  
"Hey you, hold it right there, kid!"  
  
Yugi froze. He couldn't outrun the man, because it was hard enough for him to walk, but he didn't want to turn around and face him either. He just stood there, until the man walked up to stand in front of him.  
  
"You dropped this, kid," the man said holding out a yellow wallet.  
  
Yugi looked up and saw the man smiling at him. He reached out and took the offered object.  
  
"Thank you very much, sir."  
  
"You're welcome. I've lost my wallet a few times and it isn't a good feeling. You take care now," the man said and walked in the opposite direction.  
  
Yugi sighed in relief, and then looked down at the wallet in his hands. It was the same one that Joey had carried during Duelist Kindgom, the one with Serenity's picture inside it. Yugi walked towards the elevator, relieved when the car arrived immediately. He stepped inside and pushed the button for the first floor. When he arrived there, he made his way out of the door quickly, and got as far away from the hospital as he could before having to stop and rest.  
  
He walked into a parking garage that serviced a department store and situated himself on the floor between two cars where he wouldn't be seen. Feeling like he was prying, he took out Joey's wallet and rifled through it, relieved when he found some money in it. He needed it to catch the bus to Kaiba's and the money would help. He'd be glad to pay Joey back once this was finished.  
  
*~* You're tired and in pain, Aibou, I can feel it. We should go back *~*  
  
*~~* No, I need to finish this *~~*  
  
Yugi leaned against one of the cars, his gaze dropping down to the wallet in his hands. He reached inside, took out enough money for the bus and put the wallet back in the pocket of the jeans where it must have been originally. He stared at the bills in his hand, until his vision completely darkened. Yugi blinked several times, but it took a few minutes for his blurry vision to return. He felt a flood of panic go through his body and he was sure that Yami could feel it too.  
  
*~~* Before you say anything, Yami, I'm fine *~~*  
  
Yugi felt Yami's annoyance with him, but also felt the concern and fear for his safety.  
  
*~* Why do you insist on doing this yourself, Yugi? Why not ask Joey, Tristan, Bakura or your grandfather to help you? *~*  
  
Yugi thought about the question for a moment, and then decided that it would be pointless to lie to Yami. He'd know it was a lie right away anyway.  
  
*~~* I've never been able to do anything myself, Yami. Everyone is always looking out for me, protecting me. I want to prove to them that I can take care of myself, that I'm not a kid *~~*  
  
Yami was silent, but Yugi could feel that Yami was seriously considering his words. Finally, the ancient spirit spoke.  
  
*~* I understand, Yugi. However, this is not the time to go at it alone. You're injured, not in the best shape, and definitely not in a position to go around the city, looking for someone who will more than likely deny anything you ask him. Please, Yugi, go back to the hospital. Get well and then worry about speaking to Kaiba *~*  
  
*~~* I can't. I have to do this *~~*  
  
****  
  
"Hello, Yugi, how are you feeling?"  
  
Solomon stopped at the doorway and frowned, noticing the empty bed. He turned towards the bathroom, thinking that Yugi was in there, but saw that the door was open. He quickly walked inside, thinking that Yugi was hurt, but stopped when he found the room empty. Upon closer inspection, he saw Yugi's hospital clothing on the floor of the bathroom, along with his bandages.  
  
"Yugi?" he yelled, a little louder this time.  
  
He walked out of the bathroom and out into the hallway, checking to see if maybe his grandson was wondering along in the hallway. When he didn't see him, Solomon peeked inside some of the other rooms, but found nothing. He finally went to the nurse's station and inquired there.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Moto, we haven't seen your grandson. He was supposed to be in his room."  
  
"I know that, but he isn't. Since it's your responsibility to take care of him, I suggest you find him."  
  
He turned away from the nurse, worry and fear making him edgy and moody. Yugi was in no condition to be wondering around. He needed to be in bed where he could recuperate.  
  
"Mr. Moto, is there something wrong?"  
  
Solomon turned around to find the Kaiba brothers standing in front of him.  
  
"We went to Yugi's room but he's not there," the younger Kaiba said. "Where is he?"  
  
Solomon closed his eyes and sighed, only now remembering that Mokuba was supposed to come visit his grandson. He opened his eyes again, glanced at Mokuba, then at his older brother, before shaking his head in confusion.  
  
"I don't know where he is, Mokuba. I think Yugi may have left the hospital."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" the elder Kaiba asked.  
  
"His hospital clothes are in the bathroom floor, and the shoes I'd left for him are gone. He'd have no need for shoes unless he was going somewhere."  
  
"I thought he just woke up. Should he be out wondering around?" Mokuba asked.  
  
"No, Mokuba, he shouldn't be."  
  
An uncomfortable silence fell over the trio, until a nurse approached them.  
  
"Mr. Moto, one of our orderlies says that he saw a boy matching your grandson's description leaving the hospital about a half hour ago."  
  
Solomon clenched his jaw, trying to hold back the angry reply. "Why didn't they stop him? He's not supposed to be out of his room, much less out of the hospital."  
  
The nurse had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry, but no one knew that he was a patient since he was dressed in street clothes."  
  
Solomon sighed in frustration.  
  
"I'll go after him."  
  
"What?" both Solomon and Mokuba asked at the same time.  
  
"My car is downstairs. If Yugi left the hospital a half hour ago, he couldn't have gotten very far. I'll go look for him," the elder Kaiba offered. "Mr. Moto, you can stay here in case the orderly was wrong and Yugi is still in the hospital. Mokuba, you can stay with Mr. Moto, if that's okay, sir."  
  
Solomon nodded. "It's fine. Mokuba can stay with me. Please be careful, Kaiba. If you find him, let me know."  
  
Kaiba nodded. "I will call you immediately.  
  
Solomon watched the elder Kaiba go, perplexed at the sudden offer of assistance. He wished the young man well. Hopefully, if Yugi had left the hospital, Kaiba would find him.  
  
****  
  
Deciding that he'd wasted enough time resting, Yugi got up and made his way back to the street. He had a vague idea of where the closest bus stop was and hoped to get there before anyone noticed that he was gone. He walked carefully to the intersection and waited for the light to indicate that it was safe to walk. He waited for a moment, not sure what direction to take.  
  
Just as the light was about to turn red, Yugi decided to cross the street. When he was halfway across, his vision went black again. He blinked several times, willing it to return. This time, it wouldn't. He moved his head, but couldn't see a thing. He found himself disoriented and unsure about what direction he'd been headed. He started to walk towards what he thought was the right direction, but stopped when he heard the blare of a car horn very close to him. He immediately stopped, and felt the shifting of the air around him. Yugi then heard the terrifying sound of tires screeching and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact that he was sure would come.  
  
**~~**  
  
**Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me**  
  
...looks up from behind the computer monitor, hoping that the wonderful and awesome readers aren't getting ready to throw rocks and other painful objects. I love Yugi. really, I do. But you see, my muse has other ideas. He's not so nice and gives me all these ways to torture the poor lad. I swear he's possessed. So what's going to happen? Sorry, no clues this time. You'll have to wait for chapter 9.  
  
:o) 


	9. Unexpected Allies

Greetings! I'm so very sorry for the delay in getting this out. Christmas got in the way, as wall as a bad cold. This chapter is shorter than normal, because of said cold, but I figured it was better than no chapter at all.  
  
pruning shears gets a basket of Oreos for being right about the identity of the person in the car. Don't eat them all at once, okay? Let's give out a round of applause *claps loudly* Also, I know what you mean about head injuries being painful. I've had one myself and it was not pretty.  
  
Mutou Yasu thinks I'm evil. Am I really? You mean you all don't enjoy all these lovely cliffhangers I keep leaving you with? ;o)  
  
Crossover Authoress: "Well I guess it's his own fault for going against Yami" This was just too funny. Just wait until I get to write the conversation between those two!  
  
To everyone else that reviewed: Thank you muchly!! You all rock! *hugs all the wonderful reviewers*  
  
On another note: Does anyone know where I can find English lyrics to the Japanese song "Shuffle"? It's the one used for the second opening in the Japanese TV version. I recently got the Japanese DVD's (YAY!) and adore that song. I don't know what it says, except for what I get from the subtitles, but it sounds pretty cool.  
  
Yikes, sorry about the long AN.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 9: Unexpected Allies  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Seto Kaiba winced as his body was jostled forward by the car's decreased momentum, but regained his balance quickly. He opened the door and was out of the limo before the driver had brought the vehicle to a complete stop. He tripped as his feet hit the pavement, but did not lose his footing. Instead, he sprinted over to the young man who was standing in front of the limo, his eyes clenched shut.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Yugi? You could have been killed!"  
  
The adrenaline rushing through his body from the close call made his voice rougher and louder than it needed to be, so he took several deep breaths before speaking again.  
  
"We almost hit you, damn it. What were you doing crossing the street? Why didn't you wait for the signal to cross? I just barely had time to shout for my driver to stop after I saw you crossing in front of us."  
  
"It was green for me," Yugi whispered, his eyes still closed. His voice was so soft that it was hard to hear it over the noise of the traffic.  
  
What? Kaiba looked around and noticed the crowd that had gathered to watch what was happening. He scowled at them, and then turned his attention back to Yugi.  
  
"Yugi, the light was green to cross on the other street, not on this one."  
  
Yugi said nothing.  
  
Kaiba finally made it to the young man. Yugi was standing with his head down, clutching the puzzle around his neck. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and he seemed to be lost in another world.  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
"Yeah. Come on; let's get out of the middle of the street."  
  
Yugi turned towards him then, his eyes finally open. Kaiba noticed something empty there, as if Yugi wasn't really focusing on him. He shrugged, figuring that the younger teen was still frightened. He turned and walked back to the limo, and then realized that Yugi hadn't followed. Kaiba turned around again and found that Yugi was walking the other way, away from him, heading towards the other intersection.  
  
"Yugi!"  
  
Kaiba ran after the young man and grabbed him by the arms before he could step out into the oncoming traffic on the other street. Yugi flinched as Kaiba touched him, and he could tell that Yugi was shaking slightly. Kaiba immediately released him, not sure of what was going on.  
  
Yugi looked around, as if trying to find something. His face was twisted in concentration, and Kaiba could see tears pooling in his eyes. Finally his head stopped moving, and he gave a sigh. He was facing Kaiba, but his eyes weren't focusing on him at all. Suddenly, the grimness of the situation hit Kaiba like a bucket of ice water.  
  
"You can't see me, can you?"  
  
Yugi blinked, and a single tear slid down his cheek. He shook his head, as if he couldn't trust himself to speak.  
  
Kaiba's face softened momentarily at the younger teen's plight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his driver had stepped out of the limo and was watching him. His emotionless mask slipped back onto his face immediately, but he kept his gaze on Yugi.  
  
"I'm going to take your hand and lead you to the limo, okay?"  
  
At Yugi's nod, Kaiba reached out and grabbed Yugi's left hand. Kaiba started leading him towards the limo, while softly speaking.  
  
"Then we're going to go to the hospital so the doctors can get a good look at you. Besides, your grandfather is worried sick."  
  
Yugi suddenly stopped walking and pulled his hand out of Kaiba's. Kaiba frowned, and regarded Yugi's determined face.  
  
"No. I need to talk to you, Kaiba. I was on my way to your house to do just that. I can't go back to the hospital until we talk."  
  
Kaiba frowned. "You left the hospital ahead of time to go talk to me? Why didn't you just ask me to go see you?"  
  
"Because you wouldn't have gone," the answer came quickly and with no hesitation.  
  
Kaiba opened his mouth to deny that implication, but then shut it. Yugi was right, he wouldn't have gone. The only reason he'd been at the hospital at all was because Mokuba wanted to go. If Yugi had called him to ask to talk to him, Kaiba would have laughed in his face and hung up.  
  
"Okay, you have a point. I'll make you a deal, Yugi. We'll go back to the hospital, you get looked at by the doctors, and I'll stick around to talk to you afterwards."  
  
Yugi thought about it for a moment. His eyes lost their light momentarily, and Kaiba was afraid that Yugi was going to faint. Yugi then gave a small nod and started to walk forwards.  
  
"Agreed. I really need to talk to you, though."  
  
Kaiba took Yugi's shoulders and led the teen into the limo. He settled down himself, before telling the driver to head back to Domino Hospital. He turned to regard his companion, noting that Yugi was looking straight ahead. Kaiba also noticed the ridiculous clothes he was wearing.  
  
"What are you wearing? Those clothes look to be about five sizes too big for you."  
  
Yugi smiled slightly, and ran his hands over his legs. "I think they're Joey's. I couldn't find my clothes, but I found his."  
  
"You were that eager to leave the hospital, huh?"  
  
Yugi didn't answer.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
The question was so unexpected that Yugi's face immediately turned towards him, shock marring his features.  
  
"What, it's a valid question?" Kaiba retorted.  
  
Yugi shrugged. "Yeah, but you've never cared before."  
  
Kaiba sighed. Was he really that bad?  
  
"Well, I care now. How are you feeling?"  
  
Yugi took a deep breath, before slowly releasing it. "I can't see a thing, Kaiba. My vision consists of nothing but darkness. I can feel my eyes open, but I don't see a thing." He sighed, and turned away. "I feel so helpless.."  
  
The last sentence came out in a whisper, and Kaiba thought he might have imagined it. Looking at Yugi's posture and the clenched hands, he knew that he hadn't imagined anything.  
  
"You're not helpless, Yugi. The doctors are going to see what's wrong and fix it. That's what they do, after all."  
  
Yugi's mouth curved up into a small smile, before he turned his head in Kaiba's direction. His eyes were focused at a point about two feet to Kaiba's right, which the elder teen found somewhat unnerving.  
  
"Are you trying to cheer me up?"  
  
Kaiba shrugged. "There is a first time for everything, you know."  
  
The two teens lapsed into silence, both happy to ponder their own inner thoughts. Kaiba wondered what was so important that Yugi had to sneak out of the hospital to talk to him. He had no business being out of bed, especially not if he couldn't see his way around.  
  
"How do you know that my grandfather is worried about me?"  
  
The question was unexpected. Kaiba turned and found Yugi's face turned towards him. He smiled sheepishly and was glad that Yugi couldn't see it.  
  
"I was at the hospital because Mokuba wanted to see you. We ran into your grandfather and he told us you were missing."  
  
Yugi frowned. He was quiet for a moment, before speaking again. "You mean you were out looking for me?"  
  
Kaiba didn't reply. He saw Yugi cock his head slightly, probably wondering why he wasn't answering the question.  
  
"Yes, I was out looking for you. I had the car, and figured it was easier than sending your friends to look for you on foot. I didn't expect to almost run you over." Kaiba was quiet for a moment, before deciding to continue. "If you couldn't see, why did you leave the hospital?"  
  
Now it was Yugi's turn to be quiet.  
  
"I could see just fine when I left the hospital," came the reply. Yugi then paused as if listening to something only he could hear, before smiling slightly. "Okay, so I could somewhat see when I left. My vision didn't completely go away until I started crossing the street."  
  
Kaiba shook his head in both disbelief and amazement. Here was this kid who'd only a day ago had been in a coma, and was now unable to see, sitting in his limo talking to him as if nothing was wrong. He had to hand it to Yugi, he was being much calmer than Kaiba himself would be had he been in the same situation.  
  
"We've arrived at Domino Hospital, Master Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba nodded at the driver. He opened the door and grabbed a hold of Yugi's arm. "I'm going to take you up to your room."  
  
Yugi nodded and let Kaiba lead him inside.  
  
As soon as they'd stepped through the threshold, Solomon Moto was upon them.  
  
"Yugi, where have you been? Why did you take off like that?"  
  
Kaiba wanted to say something to the elder man, but held his tongue. It was Yugi's responsibility to explain, after all. He was about to walk away, when Yugi's hand found his arm and tightened around it. Kaiba stayed where he was, glancing at the disbelieving looks Yugi's grandfather and friends were giving him.  
  
"I'm sorry, grandpa. I just really needed to talk to Kaiba. It couldn't wait."  
  
Joey stepped up to both of them, ignoring Kaiba.  
  
"Yug, are you okay? You seem a little bit out of it. What's wrong with your eyes?"  
  
Kaiba glanced at Joey, surprised by the boy's insight. It had taken him longer than that to figure out what was wrong with Yugi.  
  
Kaiba felt Yugi's hand around his arm tighten, and he could hear the younger teen swallowing the lump in his throat.  
  
"I can't see anymore."  
  
**~~**  
  
Aww.. let's all give Yugi a big hug now.. see, no evil cliffhanger in this chapter! But you can blame that on my cold.  
  
Coming up: Yugi gets the doctor's diagnosis and finally gets to talk to Kaiba. Gee, I wonder how that will go? 


	10. Comfort

Happy New Year!! I hope it was a good one for all of you.  
  
This chapter is once again short, and the Kaiba/Yugi conversation isn't here. I swear that just does not want to get written. However, the fic is almost finished, so that's a good thing. Now on to replies. I'm going to reply to everyone this time, since you all were so kind to leave reviews for me.  
  
Jadesaber: Thanks for the kind thoughts! I am feeling much better now. Sorry that there's no Kaiba/Yugi conversation in this chapter, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.  
  
Towairaito Zoon: Yugi bashing??? Nah... I see it more like Yugi loving! After all, we do torture the ones we love (or so the saying goes).  
  
Linchi: I'm sorry to hear about your car accident. I'm glad that you came out of it okay, except for that minute of lost memory. That must have been freaky. Thanks for the compliment and the cyber chicken noodle soup! I think it helped. Oh, yes, I am the queen of typos. This story isn't edited, so it's up to me to fix it and I stink at finding my own mistakes.  
  
stupid kid 04: Thanks for stopping in! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
Crossover Authoress: I'm so sorry to hear about your accident too. I hope you're okay. How bad was the whiplash? Getting hit from behind always leaves you feeling VERY achy, but I'm glad that nothing serious happened. A Brail deck for Yugi, huh? That brings up many interesting possibilities.. *goes to fetch muse to see what he can come up with*  
  
Sci fi fan: Thanks for the good thoughts! Glad to hear you're enjoying the story.  
  
Luna339: Thanks for the review! Yugi definitely needs all the hugs he can get.  
  
DustyStars: Very funny!! Blinding Yugi is pretty mean, isn't it? I do adore him though.  
  
Cyberkat: Thanks! Glad you liked it.  
  
Ariyah-Chan: That wasn't really supposed to be a cliffhanger, I promise!!  
  
Mutou Yasu: Have not had any luck finding the English lyrics to Shuffle. I did, however, find a Japanese-English dictionary. But it's not very good, so doing my own translation of the song isn't going well. I am learning a few words though. I'm glad that you like the story! Thanks!  
  
Starheart: Yup, everyone on the site obsesses over one character or another. Personally, I think Yugi is the best object of obsession, though Kaiba is a close second! 1 ½ pages of author's notes, huh? I think I'm getting there. It's fun, though! I love writing the replies to reviews.  
  
Queen of Hearts: WOW!! You replied to every chapter. very cool! I'm so glad that you like the story, and I'm also glad that I could give you a distraction from the headache. I hate those with a passion! Oh, about the OOCness of Joey and Tristan in chapter 4: They were supposed to be OOC, kind of a throw back to when they bullied Yugi. The thing was to have Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan convince Yugi that he should die, while Tea and Yami convinced him to live. Thank you for the reviews and the good thoughts. I'm feeling much better now.  
  
I luv Yugi and Kurt so :p: Would that be Kurt from X-Men Evolution?? Thanks for the review... you'll see what I've done about Yugi's blindness at the end of this chapter.  
  
Whew! That was long, but thank you all so much for taking the time to review. Now I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 10: Comfort  
  
"I can't see anymore."  
  
Yugi's throat felt raw from the sheer effort it took him to admit the inevitable truth. Kaiba had guessed it, so all he'd had to do was nod in agreement when the elder teen had brought it up. Now, he had to be the one to tell his friends and his grandfather what his stupidity had caused.  
  
**~~** Are they there? **~~** Yugi asked Yami after long minutes of deafening silence.  
  
*~* I'm sure they are, aibou. They're probably just trying to get over the shock of hearing what you said. They wouldn't be so shocked to hear it if you'd told them what was going on before you left the hospital *~*  
  
**~~** They wouldn't have left me alone if I'd told them **~~**  
  
*~* That's exactly the point, Yugi. They shouldn't have left you alone at all, not in your condition *~*  
  
Yugi sighed mentally. He and Yami had already had this discussion while they'd been in Kaiba's limo. It wasn't like Yami to nag and say 'I told you so', but in this case, Yugi thought that Yami felt justified, because he had said that leaving the hospital was a mistake in the first place. Yugi hated to admit it, but he knew that Yami had been right. If he hadn't left, he wouldn't be blind now.  
  
Yugi felt someone shift besides him and he suddenly realized that he was tightly gripping someone's arm. Embarrassed, he made as if to let go of the arm and step away, but a hand was suddenly and comfortingly placed on his shoulder to keep him where he was.  
  
"Kaiba?" he asked softly.  
  
"Yes, Yugi."  
  
Yugi nodded, satisfied with knowing the identity of the person standing beside him.  
  
"What do you mean, you can't see?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yugi, what happened?"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
After the deafening silence, the concerned questions from his grandfather, Joey, Tea, and Tristan seemed unnaturally loud to Yugi's ears. The discomfort must have shown in his face, because everyone became quiet again. He felt someone standing on the other side of him, before feeling two rough and time worn hands come to rest on his cheeks. His grandfather gently turned his head towards where he must have been standing, while slowly caressing his cheek. Yugi wanted to see his grandfather, and his inability to do so brought tears to his eyes. He closed his eyes and the tears fell freely down his cheeks, where they came to rest on his grandfather's hands.  
  
"Yugi," Solomon said. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there; I should have done something. "  
  
Yugi had a feeling that his grandfather wasn't talking about being there to stop him from leaving the hospital, but being there to prevent him from being attacked in the first place.  
  
Strong arms wrapped themselves around him, causing Yugi to lose his grip on Kaiba. He closed his eyes and let himself be embraced, while bringing his own arms tightly around his grandfather. A rush of emotion went through him, and Yugi tried to stop the tears from falling again. The events of the last few days suddenly came crashing down on him and it was all he could do to remain standing. A strangled sob escaped him, followed by a louder one. His grandfather tightened his grip around him, while rubbing his back comfortingly.  
  
"It's okay, Yugi, let it out," Solomon encouraged and Yugi did just that.  
  
He let himself cry in his grandfather's arms as he hadn't done in years. The release of emotion felt good, but it didn't change his predicament. Once his tears had been spent, Yugi pulled away. He clumsily wiped the tears from his eyes and took a step back. He didn't know what to do, so he kept his face down towards the floor.  
  
*~* Aibou, do you want me to take over? I can feel your fear and helplessness, and I want to help if I can. You can go into your soul room and rest for a little while if you want *~*  
  
Yugi was tempted to let Yami deal with this. He knew that the spirit would be better able to deal with the situation at hand.  
  
**~~** I need to do this, Yami. It's my fault that I'm like this, anyway **~~**  
  
*~* Your blindness is not your fault. It is the fault of the bastards that attacked you that night *~*  
  
Yugi felt tears threatening again, but fought them off.  
  
**~~** It is my fault. If I hadn't left the hospital, I wouldn't be like this now. You were right, Yami, I did this to myself. I made this happen **~~**  
  
*~* That's not true, Yugi, not true at all *~*  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
The soft question brought him out of his conversation with his Yami. Yugi turned in the direction of the voice, letting Kaiba know that he was paying attention.  
  
"You should go back to your room to see the doctor. Your grandfather has gone to get him now."  
  
Yugi nodded. He stood where he was, because he didn't know where he needed to go. All he could see was black. He could hear the bustle of activity around him, but all that surrounded him was darkness. He hated himself for being weak, but he needed help. He reached out to where he thought Kaiba was, and felt a hand take his own.  
  
"I've got you, Yug," Joey said, taking a hold of Yugi's arm.  
  
"I'm right here too, Yugi," Tea added, taking Yugi's other arm.  
  
They began to lead him towards his room, when Yugi suddenly remembered something. He stopped and turned his head backwards.  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
There was silence for a moment, before he heard Kaiba's voice.  
  
"I will stay here, Yugi. I'll wait for the doctors to check you out first."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, Kaiba?" Joey asked. "Yugi doesn't need to deal with you right now. He needs to rest and be surrounded by his friends, and you're not one of them."  
  
Yugi winced at the venomous tone in Joey's voice. He was about to say something, when Kaiba beat him to it.  
  
"Not that it's any of your concern, but Yugi and I made a deal. As a business man, I honor my deals."  
  
Yugi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at that. He had thought that he'd managed to get through to Kaiba a little through the events of the afternoon. Kaiba had seemed concerned, which had been a welcome change from Kaiba's normally cold demeanor.  
  
*~* You didn't really expect him to change, did you aibou? *~*  
  
**~~** It's possible, Yami **~~**  
  
*~* For someone with a heart, maybe. Kaiba is destined to spend the remainder of his life alone. I don't think the man knows how to care. Besides, you're better off without him in your life *~*  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, Kaiba, there's something wrong with Yugi. He doesn't need you hanging around," Joey persisted.  
  
Yugi heard the rustle of cloth to his left, where Joey was standing, and could imagine Kaiba taking a few steps closer to Joey.  
  
"I know there's something wrong, Wheeler. I found him wondering on the street in the middle of traffic. If I hadn't picked him up, he'd be lying dead in the street."  
  
The cold and emotionless tone of Kaiba's voice made Yugi's heart clench. He had been a fool to think that he could get through to him. He didn't know why it was important, but Yugi didn't want Kaiba to spend his life distancing himself from everyone around him. He thought he could show the elder teen that having friends could be rewarding, but he'd been wasting his time.  
  
"Yes, thank you, Kaiba, for finding me and bringing me back," Yugi said, his voice as cold and emotional as he could make it with his emotions in a jumble. "I would appreciate it if you could stick around, as we agreed, so I can speak to you."  
  
Yugi could imagine both teens turning to look at him, but he turned his face away. "Tea, could you please help me get to my room?"  
  
"Of course," she said, and began to guide him forward, leaving the other two behind.  
  
Yugi walked slowly to where Tea was leading him. Her hand on his arm was comforting, but it didn't stop him from feeling lost and alone. Now, he even felt embarrassed for believing that Kaiba had changed. If he was going to remain blind for the rest of his life, how could he ever trust his judgment again? How could he hope to lead a life in darkness if he couldn't read the people by his side?  
  
"It's going to be okay, Yugi. The doctors are going to find a way to fix this."  
  
Tea's certainty was almost enough to convince Yugi that things were really going to be okay, but he knew better. It wasn't going to go away and he knew it. He was going to stay like this for the rest of his life.  
  
They stepped into what felt like an elevator, and a short wile later exited again. Once they reached his room, a soft voice greeted him.  
  
"Mr. Moto, you had us worried," Dr. Suzuki said. "Your grandfather has told me about your condition, and I'd like to run a few tests."  
  
Yugi nodded, and the doctor put his arm around Yugi and effortlessly picked him up. Yugi was deposited on what felt like a stretcher, and he leaned his head back against the pillow. He felt tired and achy, as if he'd run a marathon. He wanted to sleep and escape the horror that had become his life, but the doctor wasn't going to let him.  
  
"Yugi, tell me how you're feeling? What are the symptoms?"  
  
Yugi took a deep breath and told the doctor everything that had happened to him since he left the hospital. He didn't keep anything back this time.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to run an MRI on you to see what kind of damage there is to your head. It won't hurt, and your grandfather will be with you the whole time, okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded again, too tired to speak.  
  
The stretcher began to move, and Yugi could feel his grandfather's hand on his leg, giving him reassurance. Yugi was grateful for that one tie to reality. If not for it, he'd be tempted to just drift into the darkness. He wondered what had happened to his friends. They were probably in his room wondering what was wrong with him.  
  
They stopped and entered another room.  
  
"I'm going to put you on the machine now, Yugi," the doctor said, before picking him up and laying him on another soft surface.  
  
"Grandpa?"  
  
"I'm right here, Yugi," his grandfather said, resting his hand once again on Yugi's leg. "You're on a flat cot that's going to be pulled into the MRI machine. The doctor will tell you when it's going to happen."  
  
Yugi nodded. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He really wanted to go to sleep. He wanted to forget about everything for a while. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off. It was peaceful in dreamland; there was nothing to think about, nothing to worry about. ..  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
Yugi winced at the suddenly loud voice and opened his eyes. The darkness that confronted him caught him off guard for a little while, before the events of earlier in the day came rushing back. He took a deep breath and turned in the direction of the voice.  
  
"Yes, Joey?"  
  
"Sorry, Yugi. I didn't mean to wake you up, but the doctor is back."  
  
Yugi frowned in confusion. Wasn't he still at the MRI machine getting ready to have the test done? Yugi felt underneath him and found himself lying on clean, crisp sheets, not the plastic that had covered the other cot. He was covered by a sheet as well and was back in his hospital gown.  
  
"Where am I?" He couldn't have been out of it for that long, could he?  
  
"You're back in your room, Yugi," his grandfather replied. "You fell asleep during the MRI and the doctor thought it best to let you sleep. Now he's here to give us the results of the test."  
  
"Okay. What's wrong with me, doctor?"  
  
There was quiet for a moment, before Yugi felt the doctor sit on the bed. Yugi could hear several sheets of paper being flipped and jostled, so he figured that the doctor was going through the results.  
  
"Well, young man, your major problem right now is some swelling on the right side of your head, where the head injury is located. The swelling seems to have gotten worse since your surgery, bad enough that it's now putting pressure on your optical nerves."  
  
"What does that mean, doc?" Joey asked before Yugi could voice the same question.  
  
"It means that Yugi's trip out of the hospital was very premature and harmful. Your body wasn't done healing, and you pushed it too far," the doctor answered, addressing Yugi again. "The good news is that with proper rest, the swelling will go down in due time."  
  
"What does that mean?" Yugi asked, afraid to know what the doctor meant.  
  
"It means that in time, you'll regain your sight."  
  
**~~**  
  
There, is that better?? See, I'm not entirely mean... just a little bit. Besides, the doctor didn't say just how long it would take, now did he? :o) 


	11. Mystery of the God Cards

Greetings!  
  
Welcome to the next chapter. . . This one is a little bit longer, so hopefully it'll make up for the lack of updates.  
  
First note: This story has officially become slightly AU. When I started writing this, I hadn't seen any of the Battle City episodes, so I had no clue what would end up happening. Now that I have, my story doesn't match the way the show ends up through Battle City. So, we'll assume that the story takes place before Kaiba announces the tournament, but after he goes to see Ishizu at the museum.  
  
Second note: I'm using Ishizu Ishthal as the girl's name. It's probably spelled wrong, but this was the only spelling I found. I'm not even sure what her Japanese name is. . . the English subtitles on the DVDs are truly horrendous.  
  
Now on to the replies:  
  
Jadesaber: This chapter finally has the Yugi/Kaiba conversation I've been promising forever and ever. I hope it was worth the wait!  
  
Starheart: Okay, so I can't do without those cliffhangers. . . I guess it's just ingrained.  
  
Crossover Authoress: Yup, really liked the idea of a Braille deck. I'll have to think of a way to use that.  
  
Sci fi fan: I love your name, by the way. . . I'm somewhat of a sci fi nut myself, though I don't have much time to watch TV these days.  
  
Katya: Yup, poor Yugi. But you know that we all love to make him miserable just so we can kiss it and make it feel better later.  
  
I Love Yugi and Kurt: X Men Evolution is a great show. I like Kurt as well as Scott. I wish KidsWB would show more new episodes of that. Then again, I wish they'd show more new episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! as well.  
  
stupid kid 04: I'm so sorry to hear about your cousin. Is she doing any better? The thing about swelling in the brain is that it really will get better over time and with the proper care. I hope that your cousin is okay.  
  
Luna339: Glad you're enjoying the story. Not sure if this update counts as 'soon' but it was out as soon as I could get it.  
  
Mutou Yasu: Seto-kun is great to mess with because he's got such angst potential. I mean, there's got to be a reason why he's so cold and ruthless to everyone else except Mokuba. Given the right motivation, I think he can learn to care for others. I'm hoping to find that motivation in this fic!  
  
Stormy_rose: YAY! Poor Yugi needed a break. besides, everyone made it absolutely clear that they didn't want Yugi to be blind. Though I was very tempted to keep him that way. . . :o))  
  
QueenofHearts: Am I going to make Yugi alright? Hmm. that's a good question. What kind of cliffhanger loving author would I be if I answered that? :o)  
  
Yami Cleopatra: Yugi being able to see is a good thing, right? Yup, thought so. . . it made lots of people happy!  
  
Thank you all again for taking the time to review!! I do appreciate it, and it's much easier to write a story that I know people are waiting for. You're the best!  
  
Now on to the story. Enjoy!  
  
*~*  
  
Part 11: Mystery of the God Cards  
  
"That's wonderful, doctor! How long is it going to be before my grandson regains his sight?" Solomon asked.  
  
Yugi could hear the happiness in his grandfather's voice and couldn't help but grin. He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Yes, there was still something wrong with him, and he was still in pain, but now there was hope of him getting better with time.  
  
"That depends on your grandson, Mr. Moto," Dr. Suzuki replied. "If he stays in bed, takes his medication as prescribed, and gets a lot of rest, he'll recuperate much faster than if he decides to leave the hospital again."  
  
Now Yugi felt his cheeks burning. He ducked his head to keep the others from seeing the embarrassment on his face.  
  
"Sorry. That was really dumb of me to do."  
  
"Yes, Yugi, it was," his grandfather said. "You had us all worried. What could have been so important that you had to leave the hospital without telling us?"  
  
Yugi swallowed, but said nothing. His grandfather wouldn't understand why he'd done it, anyway. He wasn't sure that his friends would understand either. Yami certainly didn't, but he just had to do it.  
  
* Honesty is the best policy, Yugi. Isn't that what you're always telling me? *  
  
A small smile crept up on Yugi's face.  
  
** Do you always pay attention to everything I say, Yami? **  
  
The spirit actually laughed. * No, only those things I can use against you later *  
  
When Yugi declined to answer his grandfather's question, the doctor spoke up. "I'm going to talk to your grandfather now, Yugi. He'll be back in a little while. Use the call button on the right side of your bed if you need assistance."  
  
With that, the doctor and his grandfather left. Yugi wasn't exactly sure who was still in the room with him, but he could tell that he wasn't alone.  
  
"Um, Yug, aren't those my clothes you're wearing?"  
  
Yugi turned in the direction of Joey's voice and gave the older teen a sheepish grin. He felt along his arms at the folded sleeves of the shirt he wore.  
  
"Sorry, Joey. I couldn't find my clothes, but I found your backpack and borrowed these. I'll give them back as soon as I'm out of the hospital."  
  
"It's okay, Yugi. They look ridiculous on you, though," Joey said, his voice tainted with humor.  
  
Yugi laughed. "Yeah, I bet. They feel pretty big on me. Oh, here," Yugi said and pulled out the wallet he'd been carrying. "I found this in the pants pocket." Yugi held it out, trusting Joey to take it from his hand.  
  
"I was wondering where this was. I thought I'd left it at home. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to call Tristan and Tea to tell them what the doctor said."  
  
Yugi nodded. "They had to leave?"  
  
"Yeah. Tea didn't want to go, but her parents came to pick her up. They said to tell you to rest and take care of yourself. Tristan also had to go home because of his parents."  
  
"Okay. Say hi to them for me, Joey."  
  
"Will do, Yug. See ya in a bit!"  
  
Yugi heard Joey leave, and then settled down onto the pillows. He closed his eyes and was about to try to sleep, when something caught his attention.  
  
"Who else is here? I can feel someone else in the room."  
  
There was silence in the room for a bit, before a softer voice answered.  
  
"I'm also here, Yugi."  
  
"Bakura! Why didn't you say something? How are you doing?" Yugi asked, glad to know that Bakura was still around. He'd seemed odd to Yugi the last time he'd seen him, which had made him wonder if there was something wrong.  
  
"I'm doing okay. How are you feeling?"  
  
Yugi winced slightly as he considered the various aches and pains he felt throughout his body, but concentrated more on the ones in his head. "I'm pretty tired, actually. I still hurt all over, especially my head. There's some soreness around my neck too," he said and rubbed the spot, hissing as he hit a particularly sore point on the side of his neck.  
  
Bakura was quiet for a moment, long enough that Yugi started to wonder if his friend had left the room.  
  
"Bakura?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Yugi, I did that," Bakura finally said, and Yugi could hear the remorse in his voice.  
  
"What? What do you mean? What did you do?"  
  
"I.. I didn't want to, I..."  
  
Yugi turned his head in the direction of Bakura's voice, but he seemed to be further away, as if he were standing at the other end of the room. Even so, Yugi could still hear the sorrow in his voice.  
  
"The spirit of the ring wanted the puzzle and he... well, he wanted to kill you to get it and I.. I lost control, Yugi. I fought him, I swear I did, but he won." Bakura's words were getting faster and louder as he spoke. The sound of the pain the desperation there were like knives to Yugi's heart. "By the time I regained control, I opened my eyes to see my hands wrapped around your neck. I'm so sorry.. so very sorry." Bakura's voice broke, and Yugi could hear the soft sobs that the other teen was trying to repress.  
  
"I'ts okay, Bakura. It wasn't you. I'm still alive, after all."  
  
Bakura was quiet for a moment longer, before he spoke again. This time, his voice was much closer, as if he'd taken a few steps closer to Yugi's bed.  
  
"It's not okay! I tried to kill you. How can you lay there and tell me that it's okay?"  
  
"YOU didn't try to kill me, Bakura, the spirit of the ring did. That's a big difference. Besides, what would have happened if you hadn't regained control?" Yugi asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. His head was pounding, and he could barely stay awake, but he had to see this through for Bakura's sake.  
  
Bakura didn't answer.  
  
"The spirit would have strangled me, right, which means that you saved my life, Bakura. Isn't that worth something?  
  
"I..."  
  
"No buts, no excuses. You did what you had to do. I'm not going to hold you responsible for that, just as no one holds me responsible for almost killing Kaiba on the rooftop that day while we were still in Duelist Kingdom. Yami gave the order to attack, remember? I stopped it. If Kaiba had fallen to his death that day because of Yami's attack, would you have blamed me?"  
  
"No, I wouldn't have," Bakura finally replied.  
  
"Then don't blame yourself. Blame the spirit of the ring."  
  
Bakura was silent. Yugi was beginning to worry that his friend had run off when he felt a hand squeezing his left hand. Yugi returned the gesture, and then covered Bakura's hand with his right.  
  
"Don't stay away, okay? I'm going to need all of you to be my eyes until mine start working again, so please stick around."  
  
"I will, Yugi. Thanks. Now I'm going to leave you to sleep, okay? I'm sure your grandfather or Joey will be back shortly."  
  
"Thank you too, Bakura. I'll talk to you later."  
  
Yugi heard Bakura leave and then leaned back once again.  
  
* I'm going to kill that tomb robber as soon as I get a chance! *  
  
** Now Yami, hurting the spirit would only harm Bakura. You don't want to do that **  
  
* He tried to kill you! I'm not going to let him get away with it *  
  
Yugi sighed. He was used to Yami's protectiveness. It was really sweet sometimes, but at times like this, Yugi wished that his partner wasn't so overbearing.  
  
** The key word here is 'tried'. I'm still alive, so it doesn't matter **  
  
Yami was quiet for a moment and Yugi could feel the spirit's confusion through their link.  
  
* How can you be so forgiving? *  
  
Yugi shrugged. ** Bakura didn't do anything to me, his spirit did. If there was a way for you to get back at him without harming Bakura, I might consider letting you do something. However, my friend is innocent. He didn't do anything wrong **  
  
Yugi heard Yami sigh. *Let me take over for now, Yugi. You can retreat to your soul room and recover there. Your minds eye isn't blind, so you can see what you wish to see, do what you wish to do while I deal with things out there *  
  
Yugi considered the offer for a moment, before nodding. ** Okay, Yami, have at it and have fun **  
  
**~~**  
  
Seto Kaiba walked down the hall that led to Yugi's room, suddenly nervous. He was still thinking about the way Yugi had treated him as Tea had led him to his room. During the limo ride to the hospital, Yugi had treated him as he treated all of his other friends, and Kaiba hated to admit that it had felt good. It had been nice to be regarded as a human being, instead of as just another person to be put up with. Suddenly however, Yugi's attitude had changed, and he'd treated Kaiba the way Joey did. He couldn't figure out what had happened.  
  
He finally reached the door to the room, relieved that there was no one else inside. Yugi sat on his bed with his head turned in the direction of the opposite wall. Kaiba had been afraid that Yugi would be asleep, so he was glad to see that he wasn't.  
  
He softly knocked on the door and let himself in. As soon as Yugi turned towards him, Kaiba knew that he wasn't looking at the teen he'd found in the street about to cross in front of incoming traffic. The person on the bed looked taller, his eyes were darker and more angled, and his face wore an expression of smugness and slight superiority, things that Kaiba had never seen on Yugi.  
  
"You're not Yugi, are you?"  
  
The person on the bed narrowed his eyes, before a smirk graced his features.  
  
"It took you long enough to figure it out."  
  
The voice was different too, deeper and more confident.  
  
"Who are you?" Kaiba asked. "Where is Yugi?"  
  
He walked up to the bed, his eyes never leaving Yugi's face. He'd never really been this close up to Yugi when this personality was in charge. This usually only happened during duels. Kaiba had noticed, but had dismissed the idea as nonsense. He'd been wrong to think that.  
  
"What difference does it make if you know my name?"  
  
"If I'm going to talk to you about the Egyptian God cards, I want to know your name."  
  
"Very well. You can call me Yami. It's what Yugi and his friends call me. I am the spirit of an Egyptian Pharaoh and I now reside inside the Millennium Puzzle."  
  
Kaiba saw Yami trace his hands over the puzzle he wore around his neck. "Yugi put the puzzle together several years ago, and I've been with him ever since."  
  
"Where is Yugi now?"  
  
Yami smiled slightly. "He is resting. The activities of the past few days have exhausted him. It's my duty to protect him, so I will deal with things until he is ready to take over again."  
  
Suddenly, the spirit's smugness got to him, and Kaiba did what he always did in situations where he felt as if he were losing control.  
  
"If you're supposed to protect him, where were you when he was originally attacked?"  
  
The question hung heavy and accusing in the air. Kaiba saw Yami's jaw tighten, and his hands clenched the sheet underneath them even tighter. He turned in Kaiba's direction and Kaiba could see the intensity and anger in that glare. Yami looked like he wanted to get out of bed and deck Kaiba, but because he couldn't see, Kaiba knew that Yami was helpless to do anything.  
  
Suddenly, Yami's eyes closed. When he reopened them, Kaiba found himself staring at Yugi.  
  
"That was uncalled for, Kaiba. You have no idea what you're dealing with."  
  
Yugi's voice was calm and held a tint of anger. Anger Kaiba could deal with. As a matter of fact, he was a master at it. It just seemed out of place in Yugi.  
  
"He didn't answer the question. It's convenient for him to go away so he wouldn't have to answer it."  
  
"He didn't 'go away', as you put it," Yugi countered. "I took control of the body away from him. I rarely do that, but it was necessary in this case."  
  
"Why would that be?"  
  
Yugi's face was blank of all emotion, but before that happened, Kaiba saw something akin to humor flash through Yugi's eyes.  
  
"So you two wouldn't kill each other."  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened at the response. He knew that Yugi didn't mean that literally, but it was still surprising to hear it.  
  
"Okay. Can you answer the question then? If Yami is sworn to protect you, why didn't he protect you the day those guys attacked you?"  
  
Yugi was quiet for a moment, his face facing Kaiba but his eyes focused somewhere else.  
  
"Why do you care?" came the quiet response.  
  
Kaiba opened his mouth to reply, but found that he didn't have an answer. Why did he care? Why did it seem so terribly important for him to know why Yami, if he could have prevented this from happening to Yugi, hadn't done so? Why did he feel anger in knowing that Yugi could be sitting at home right now, playing Duel Monsters, instead of in this hospital bed, blind, if Yami had helped him?  
  
"You don't deserve this, Yugi. You shouldn't be here."  
  
Yugi frowned at the reply. He took a deep breath and then released it, before laying his head back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on his lap.  
  
"Is that it? Do you only care because if I weren't here, then you wouldn't be here either? Is this all merely an inconvenience to you?"  
  
Kaiba couldn't help but feel hurt at the statement.  
  
"I thought you were different," Kaiba finally said. "I thought that when you treated me like an equal, a friend, you meant it."  
  
"I thought you did too," Yugi replied, without opening his eyes.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Yugi opened his eyes again and turned his face towards Kaiba. "You told Joey that you were only sticking around because we made a deal, and you honored your business deals. That made me realize that the only reason you went out to look for me was because you still felt guilty about what you did to my grandfather. It's stupid, but in the limo, I thought that you were staying because I had asked you to, and because you cared."  
  
Yugi's voice was soft and calm, but Kaiba could see the hurt reflected in his eyes.  
  
Kaiba sighed. He hated these types of conversations. He wanted more than anything to walk away and never have to face this, but he couldn't. It was like he was rooted to the spot, but he had to stay and finish this.  
  
"I don't know what it is about you, Yugi. When you talk to me, you see me as just me, not Kaiba the CEO or Kaiba the Duel Monsters Champion. Well, ex- champion since you have my title now," Kaiba added, chuckling slightly at the lame joke. He smiled when Yugi chuckled as well. "I meant it when I told Joey that I honor my business deals, but that's not the only reason I'm here. Call me selfish, but I like talking to you. I hate what's been done to you and want to help if I can. I realize that you may find that hard to believe, but it's the truth."  
  
Yugi was quiet for a very long time, so long that he was beginning to wonder if the younger teen was okay. Finally, Yugi spoke.  
  
"That is the most honest thing I think you've ever said to me, Kaiba. I appreciate it. For the record, you are just you. You're an annoying and arrogant pain in the butt sometimes, but you're not so bad when you want to be."  
  
Kaiba laughed. "Gee, thanks, I think."  
  
The two teens remained in companionable silence, until Yugi broke it.  
  
"The puzzle was shattered."  
  
"What?" Kaiba asked, confused at the sudden change in conversation.  
  
"That's why Yami couldn't help me. I was attacked so suddenly that I barely had time to react. The guy shoved me against the wall, and the puzzle was shattered on impact. Yami can't take over my body unless the puzzle is intact."  
  
"Oh," Kaiba muttered, staring that the pyramid on Yugi's chest, wondering what the spirit inside it was doing.  
  
"He's listening to what we're saying, Kaiba. Unless I block him, he can hear what I'm saying and thinking."  
  
"What are you, a mind reader now?"  
  
Yugi laughed. "No, but that's what people usually ask me when I tell them about Yami. I just figured I'd answer you before you asked. Now, tell me about the Egyptian God cards."  
  
Kaiba took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was, after all, what he'd come to discuss.  
  
"I went to a museum opening a few weeks ago and talked to a woman named Ishizu Ishtahl. She wore something around her neck with the same eye symbol as your puzzle there. I think she called it a Millennium Necklace. She said something about there having been monsters in ancient times that were so powerful they couldn't be controlled. Pegasus recreated them as cards, 3 Egyptian God cards, to be precise, but then sealed them away when even he couldn't control them," Kaiba paused, making sure that Yugi was following. "The cards were dug up and stolen by a group that she called the 'Rare Hunters', and now Ishizu wants them back. She was the original keeper of the cards and wants to bury them again. She gave me one as incentive to come up with a plan to draw the Rare Hunters to Domino so I could help her regain the lost cards."  
  
"What do I have to do with it? Why would these Rare Hunters attack me? Do you think that it was them that attacked me?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Kaiba said, and went to sit on the side of Yugi's bed. "What did they say to you when they attacked you?"  
  
Yugi closed his eyes, and Kaiba could see the slight shiver that ran through him as he recalled the events of that night. Unconsciously, Yugi gripped his injured hand, as if he were sheltering it.  
  
"They wanted my God card. They said that if you had been given one, then it was likely that I had one too. When I didn't tell them what they wanted to hear or give them the card, they beat me."  
  
Kaiba was quiet, contemplating. He didn't have to hear the rest to put together what had happened. He had seen Yugi after the beating to know that it'd been bad.  
  
"I don't think it was the Rare Hunters that attacked you, Yugi."  
  
Yugi's eyes snapped open, but his gaze was focused at a point beyond Kaiba's left shoulder. "What makes you say that?"  
  
"The bastards that attacked you seemed too desperate. From what Ishizu told me about the Rare Hunters, they're nothing if not methodical and patient. They wouldn't get sloppy."  
  
"Are you saying that there are two groups we're going to have to worry about?"  
  
Kaiba sighed. "It appears so."  
  
**~~**  
  
"What's your location?"  
  
The man sighed. He hated to be disturbed while he was staking out his victims.  
  
"I'm at the hospital, like you told me to be."  
  
"Good, good. . . do you have him in sight?"  
  
He laughed. "You're not going to believe this, I have the two of them in sight," he said, watching as the two teenagers, the tall, blue eyed one and the one with the funky hair, spoke. "We can grab them with no problem while they're alone."  
  
"What about the other people coming and going? How are you going to get rid of them?"  
  
"I have my ways. There is only an old man and a blond teenage kid that I really have to worry about. I can handle them with no problem."  
  
"Fine, get Kami up there so you can take care of this. The sooner we have the brats, the sooner we can get both cards. Remember, there is no margin for error. If you fail to apprehend them, it'll be your life on the line."  
  
The connection went dead, and he sighed. He knew the stakes. He had the scars from previous 'punishments' as incentive not to fail. He wouldn't fail. The tall teen could be easily disabled with a tranquilizer dart, and the other teen was smaller, lighter, and currently blind. He'd be no problem at all.  
  
The man picked up his weapons and made his way out of the storage room, slowly walking forward to the room in front of him, Yugi Moto's room.  
  
**~~**  
  
Now just remember that if you hurt me, it'll take longer to get the next chapter out. :o). So who are these people plotting against our heroes? Are they the Rare Hunters or another group of crazy people? Tune in next time to find out!  
  
Okay, I have to ask: Is my Kaiba okay, or am I making him too mushy? See, I like how he is on the show, except that I really want him to have friends. Well, at least one friend. I just don't want to totally ruin him.  
  
To those of you who speak Japanese and have watched the original episodes: What does Yugi call Yami? The subtitles say 'another me' but that just sounds silly. What does the term really translate to?  
  
As always, thanks for reading! 


	12. Innocent Bystander

Greetings!  
  
I never thought this story would be this long. I think originally it was supposed to be only 5 chapters. Ah, the joys of creative license.  
  
Replies:  
  
Amiasha: Thank you for the Japanese phrases that Yugi and Yami use for each other! So it really is 'other me' huh? Now I'll know what to listen for when I watch the episodes. I'm glad you like the way Kaiba is written. He's such a complex character that it's hard to get right. As for who the group is. . . well, you'll see. :o)  
  
Sci fi fan: I'm definitely keeping the name as Yami. I mainly wanted to know what the actual name/phrase was so that I could listen for it when I watched the episodes. I've learned a lot of Japanese that way!  
  
I luv Yugi and Kurt: Sorry to hear about the fic. It is kind of hard to get motivated when people don't review.  
  
Towairaito Zoon: Thanks for the info! In the English version, Yami's name does translate to "Darkness" or something like that. It's kind of odd, especially when you're trying to write Yami Bakura or Yami Malik (Marik? I'm still not sure which is which). That's just way too many Yami's running around.  
  
shiney mew: "I need to know who those bad people are so I can painfully kill them for hurting Yugi!" After this chapter, you may really want to hurt them. . . Don't worry, you'll find out who they are very soon.  
  
Mutou Yasu: Hadn't we agreed that evil cliffys are a good thing? :o) I'm just kidding. Sometimes, the chapters really do get long and I have to cut them off somewhere. I'll work on it!  
  
Linchi: Updates are good. I like them too! Glad you're still enjoying the story.  
  
Luna339: The identity of the goons will be revealed soon, I hope. That's the plan, at least.  
  
QueenofHearts: I'll join you in the fingernail gnawing. I do that every time I write a chapter, which is why I no longer have fingernails. Now I've resorted to eating something, so my poor fingers won't suffer. It was Rocky Road ice cream for this chapter! Glad you liked Kaiba. He's fun to write.  
  
Starheart: Aww, that's so sweet! I'm very glad that you love the story!  
  
benign sadist: I do agree that Kaiba is a bit OOC in this fic, but after watching most of the Battle City episodes, I've come to the conclusion that he does have a heart. He just decides not to show it to anyone but Mokuba most of the time. I like that about him. I'm very glad that you liked the switch from angst to action and such as well. I like to keep myself interested in the story as I write it, so I throw things out to see what happens. The enjoyment is greater when the readers like the twists too!  
  
Jadesaber: Nope, it isn't the Rare Hunters, because as you say, they already have two of the God cards. I'd actually forgotten about that until you pointed it out, so thanks! I was thinking that Ishizu had two of them.  
  
  
  
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!! Now, on to the story.  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 12: Innocent Bystander  
  
Joey got out of the elevator quickly and made his way to Yugi's room.  
  
He'd been gone longer than he should have been, because after calling Tea and Tristan, he'd gone to Yugi's house to get him some clothes. Joey had run into Mr. Moto as he and Dr. Suzuki walked to the doctor's office, and had mentioned the fact that Yugi could use some clothes. Mr. Moto had agreed and asked Joey if he wouldn't mind going by the house. He'd given Joey the keys, and Joey had picked up some pajamas, a couple of pairs of pants and some shirts for Yugi to wear. He had them folded in a bundle, because he hadn't found Yugi's backpack. Mr. Moto could always bring a bag later, so Joey had just brought the clothes in his hand.  
  
Joey smiled, recalling how ridiculous Yugi had looked wearing his clothes. Joey was tall for his fifteen years, while Yugi was short for his. Those two facts did not make a very good combination. It was pretty funny to look at, though. Joey slipped a hand into his pocket, where he'd hidden Yugi's camera.  
  
'I'm going to get a picture of Yugi in my clothes and use it for blackmail later,' Joey thought, smiling widely. 'You never know when I'm going to need to get my way'.  
  
He turned the corner into the hallway that led to Yugi's room, not really paying attention to his surroundings. It was a pretty quiet and deserted part of the floor, so not many people wandered around the area. The nurse's station was around the other corner, so Yugi's room was very private and quiet, which was a good thing so he could recover in peace.  
  
As he began to walk down the hallway, Joey noticed that someone was standing in the hallway ahead of him. It took a while for his brain to process what he was really looking at, and by the time it clicked, it was too late.  
  
The man he'd seen was actually standing just outside of Yugi's slightly open door. He'd been looking into the room through the window when Joey spotted him. The man must have heard him approach, because he immediately took several steps away from the door and turned to face him. As the man turned, Joey saw the gun the man held in his right hand. Before Joey could react, the man soundlessly stepped towards him, firing the gun as he moved. Joey moved to one side as soon as he saw the gun, but he wasn't fast enough. The gun made no noise, and the only indication Joey had that it had been fired at all was when he felt a piercing pain in his chest. The momentum from the bullet pushed him backwards, causing the bundle of clothes he'd been carrying to fly out of his hands. The pain took his breath away, and all that could be heard in the hallway was a soft thump as his body hit the floor.  
  
His vision blacked out for a moment amidst the overwhelming pain and when it returned, Joey was looking up into the face of a blond haired, blue eyed man. The man's face was set in a scowl as he looked down on him. He lifted Joey up by the front of his shirt and aimed the gun at a point between his eyes. Joey could do nothing to protect himself, because his body had gone numb. His chest was on fire, but the rest of his body had lost all feeling. The only thing he could feel was a trickling sensation down his left arm. He could imagine his blood slowly being drained from his body by way of his arm.  
  
"This is what you get for interfering, you miserable kid," the man said.  
  
Joey closed his eyes, knowing that this was the end. He opened his mouth to shout for help, but he didn't have enough breath in his lungs to utter anything more than a soft moan.  
  
"Don't bother with him, Mitch. You just blew a hole in his chest, so he's as good as dead. We don't need any more complications."  
  
Joey opened his eyes at the sound of the second voice, and found that the man who had shot him was no longer looking at him. Instead, he was looking at something above and behind Joey.  
  
'What just happened?' Joey asked himself as he looked at his attacker. 'Who are these people?'  
  
"Drag him into the storage room and let him die there."  
  
The blond man once again looked down at Joey. He nodded once, and began to drag Joey to the room in front of Yugi's. As he passed, Joey could see Kaiba standing by Yugi's bed through the slit in the door. He forced himself to take a deep breath in order to warn them, but a blow to his face sent the breath flying out of him. His head turned with the impact, and he found himself looking into a dark storage room. He reached out to try to grab the doorway as he was pushed inside, but he had no strength and his fingers refused to hold on. All he managed to do was leave a bloody trail on the white door.  
  
"Sweet dreams, kid," the blond said to him.  
  
Joey was thrown to the back of the room, which sent waves of agony through his chest, back, and everywhere else on his body. He helplessly watched as the door was shut and he was left in darkness. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't get his lungs to take in any oxygen. Suddenly, he was wracked with coughs, which sent fluid spilling into his mouth. He spit it out as best he could, but it was only replaced by more fluid. He tried to get up, but had no strength left.  
  
'So this is how it ends,' Joey thought. 'After everything I've done, the things I've seen, this is it. Funny, my father always said that the gangs were going to get me killed. I bet he never thought that I'd be killed while visiting my best friend in the hospital.'  
  
A low moan finally broke through, and Joey could feel tears running down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and pictured those he loved. He was going to miss all of his friends, but especially the sister that he'd only so recently gotten close to again.  
  
'If life is a gamble, then I just lost big time.'  
  
With a bitter smile, Joey closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.  
  
**~~**  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Kaiba turned at the soft thud. He glanced out of the small window on the door of Yugi's room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, just an empty hallway. He was about to turn away when he heard something else, something that sounded like a moan.  
  
"What was what?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I thought I heard something outside. Let me go take a look."  
  
Kaiba stepped out of the room and saw only an empty hallway. He turned in either direction, but saw nothing. As he was going to turn back to go into the room, he spotted something on the floor. He took a few steps closer to the puddle and was almost to it when he realized he was looking at a puddle of blood. He leaned forward to make sure, and caught his breath when he realized that it was fresh blood, not dried, which meant that it had to have been spilled recently. Kaiba straightened up and was about to walk to the nurse's station, when he felt something cold pressing against the back of his neck.  
  
"I've just killed one of your friends, so I'd have no qualms about killing you too."  
  
Kaiba froze at the sound of the harsh whisper in his ear. He didn't move, because he had no doubt that the man would do what he said.  
  
"Which of my friends did you just kill?" Kaiba asked, fishing for more information.  
  
The gun was pushed painfully into his neck. "Keep your voice down, rich boy. This gun is equipped with a silencer so that if I decide to shoot you, no one will notice."  
  
The man was silent for a moment, before he continued to speak.  
  
"I don't know his name, I didn't think it important enough to ask," the man finally answered, and Kaiba could hear the disinterest in his voice. "He was tall, a bit shorter than you, and blond. He didn't put up much of a fight."  
  
'Joey!' was the thought that immediately went through Kaiba's head. He knew that Joey had been hanging around the hospital with Yugi. Yugi had told him that Joey had gone to make some phone calls and would be back. Even though he didn't like the guy, the thought of Joey being dead made Kaiba nauseous.  
  
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Kaiba asked.  
  
"Just look at the blood. It looks pretty fresh to me."  
  
Kiaba swallowed the bile that rushed up into his throat. The man had a point. That much blood had to have come from a serious injury. He felt like vomiting, but knew that he couldn't lose it now.  
  
"What do you want from me?"  
  
Kaiba slipped his hand into his pocket, where his cell phone rested. If he could call for help, maybe he could save both himself and Joey.  
  
"Don't get any bright ideas, tough guy. I know who you are. Turn around, slowly and give me the phone."  
  
Kaiba brought his hand out of his pocket and slowly turned around to find a gun pointed at his head. He handed the man his cell phone, and the man put it in one of his pockets. When Kaiba looked behind the man standing in front of him, he saw another man standing at the door of Yugi's room, pointing a gun inside the room.  
  
"You try anything and your little friend in there gets a bullet in the head. I know he's blind, so he won't even see it coming."  
  
Kaiba took a deep breath. The man had him beat. He might be willing to risk his own life, but Kaiba wasn't going to gamble with Yugi's.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
The man took a few steps back and to one side, so that he was now standing beside Kaiba. The gun dropped to his side, figuring that as long as the other man aimed his gun at Yugi, Kaiba wasn't going to do anything.  
  
"I want you to go in there and tell your friend that you're taking him for a walk. You don't tell him that we're here, nor do you tell him that there's anything wrong. You just pretend that everything is just dandy. After that, I want you to come with us. No fights, no fuss, do you understand? You will come willingly and quietly, or neither one of you leaves this hospital at all."  
  
Kaiba thought about the demands. Could he go in there and lie to Yugi? Would Yugi even believe him? Yugi wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination. The boy may look harmless, but Kaiba knew that he had a sharp intellect and a cunning mind. Besides that, Yami was also in there. Maybe if he played his cards right, they could get out of this mess after all.  
  
"Fine, I'll do what you say."  
  
The man nodded. "We'll stay outside. You're to follow me when you leave the room. Kami will make sure that you're following me."  
  
Kaiba gave Kami a dirty look, before making his way back to Yugi's room.  
  
"What was the noise you heard?" Yugi asked as soon as he'd walked into the room.  
  
"It was nothing, probably a nurse that dropped something," Kaiba smoothly lied. 'I'm not about to tell him that what I heard was the sound of his best friend losing his life.'  
  
"Hey, Yugi, why don't we go take a walk? It's kind of stuffy in here."  
  
"Yeah it is," Yugi agreed, smiling slightly. "Dr. Suzuki said I should rest, though. I don't think a walk would be a good idea."  
  
Kaiba looked behind him and saw the man motioning for him to hurry up. He took a breath and walked to Yugi's bed.  
  
"Come on, Yugi. What the doctor doesn't know won't hurt him," Kaiba insisted. He grabbed Yugi's good hand and squeezed it.  
  
'Trust me, Yugi. For your sake and mine, please trust me' Kaiba thought.  
  
Yugi frowned. He turned his head as if he were searching for something. Kaiba reached out with his free hand and turned Yugi's face so that Yugi was facing him.  
  
"I'm right here, straight ahead."  
  
Yugi's eyes weren't focused on him, but Kaiba could see the confusion there. Yugi knew that something was going on, of that Kaiba had no doubt. After a small pause, Yugi nodded.  
  
"A walk actually sounds great, Kaiba," Yugi said cheerfully. He smiled widely at Kaiba, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Yugi sat up and put his legs on the floor. "Do you know where my shoes are?"  
  
Kaiba let go of Yugi's hand, grateful that Yugi had decided to play along. He reached down and handed Yugi his shoes. Slowly, using only his good hand, Yugi put them on.  
  
"Where are we going to walk?" he asked.  
  
Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know; let's see where we end up."  
  
"Okay," Yugi said. He got up from the bed and stood there, his head tilted to his side. "We should probably go now, before the doctor comes back."  
  
Kaiba turned around and saw that the door to the room was now standing wide open. The two men were nowhere in sight, but Kaiba had no doubt that he'd see them as soon as they walked out of the door. Kaiba took Yugi's good hand again and led them both out of the room.  
  
The blond man, who was standing on one side of the door, motioned for Kaiba to follow, and Kaiba did. They went into the elevator and Kaiba saw the blond push the button that would take them to the basement, where the morgue was located. He hoped that before they got there, someone would stop the elevator and get in. Maybe he could use the distraction if that happened.  
  
As they descended, Kaiba traced patterns on Yugi's hand with one of his fingers. The method wasn't perfect, but it was the only way to communicate at his disposal. He only hoped that Yugi would understand.  
  
Not once did the elevator stop, and the four of them exited onto the basement undisturbed. As they were leaving the elevator, Yugi stumbled. Kaiba turned around to catch him and sighed in relief when he saw that Yami was now in control. He'd been tracing Yami's name on Yugi's hand as they'd descended, and he was relieved that Yugi had understood the message.  
  
Kaiba bent low to help Yami regain his balance. He didn't need to, but he needed to get close enough to whisper into Yami's ear.  
  
"Behind you," Kaiba managed to whisper as Yami coughed loudly, covering the message.  
  
Yami gave Kaiba a short nod, which he disguised as an effort to clear his throat, and straightened up. Whatever plan he was hatching, Yami was ready to go with it.  
  
Kaiba turned back around to find the blond man glaring at him. He couldn't say anything, so he settled for gesturing for Kaiba to hurry. Kaiba complied, but took the time to take a look at his surroundings. They were being led down a long, white corridor. Doors marred the smooth surface of the walls at regular intervals. Most of the doors were closed, but the few that were open made Kaiba want to shudder. All he saw inside those rooms were metal tables surrounded by metal instruments. He hated to think of the people that had to work down here.  
  
He frowned at that thought. 'Shouldn't there be people here?' He shook his head, figuring that it was late enough in the day that the regular staff was probably at home. 'Where are they taking us?'  
  
Kaiba looked beside him, where Yami was walking. The younger man's head moved from side to side, as if he were also examining his surroundings. Kaiba figured that Yami probably was trying to get his bearings without being able to use his sight. Kaiba's heart clenched momentarily at the thought of having to make an escape attempt with a blind Yami. He hoped he didn't end up getting Yami killed.  
  
Kaiba felt Yami stiffen beside him. He turned to see Yami's head tilted to one side in the direction of the open door ahead of them. Yami's eyes were narrowed, as if he were listening to something only he could hear. Kaiba supposed that was true, if Yami was talking to Yugi. That wasn't the case, however, because Kaiba suddenly heard two voices coming from somewhere ahead of them.  
  
The blond man turned his head in that direction, and then turned back towards them. He immediately made his way to Yami, pushed him against the nearest wall and pointed his gun at the teen's head. He'd apparently gotten tired of having to pretend he wasn't there.  
  
"Your friend has already been warned, so it's your turn," the blond whispered into Yami's ear. Yami's eyes widened, but Kaiba knew that it was all a show. Yugi had known there was something wrong from the moment they'd left his room. "If you so much as open your mouth, I'll kill you and your friend here. Do you understand me?"  
  
Yami nodded carefully.  
  
"Good, now stay quiet."  
  
The blond glared at Kaiba for good measure, before making his way in the direction of the open door where the voices were coming from. He motioned for his partner to follow him, and Kaiba knew this was their chance.  
  
"Yami, we have to try to get away," Kaiba whispered. "There's a loading dock on the other side of this floor, past the morgue. They keep it open at all hours. I know because I sometimes use it to come and go when I don't want people to know I'm seeing a doctor. If we can get to it, we can hide in the city." Kaiba paused and took a quick peek to see that the two men with guns were a little bit ahead of them, looking into the room where the voices were coming from. "Follow me, okay? I'll get us both there. You have to trust me," Kaiba added, when Yami frowned.  
  
"It looks like I have no other choice, doesn't it?" Yami whispered. "I'll trust you."  
  
Kaiba nodded. That was as much as he could hope for. "We take off running on the count of three, okay?"  
  
Yami nodded.  
  
"One. . . two. . . three!"  
  
**~~**  
  
So here we come to the conclusion of a chapter once again. I can hear Mutou Yasu now: "Another cliffy?" :o) Sorry!! It was my muse's fault. he did it.  
  
Next up: We get into Yami's head. As much as I like Kaiba, Yami and Yugi have to have their say too. . . Bakura gets the shock of his life. . . well, besides finding out about Yami Bakura. That had to have been pretty darned shocking. . . Malik (Marik? Someone please explain that one to me. Which is which?) might even make an appearance. Stay tuned! 


	13. The Greater of Two Evils

Greetings!  
  
I'm so very sorry for the delay in posting this. My computer died two weeks ago and I still have not been able to fix it. I ended up writing this by hand, then typing it up on my old laptop, and then borrowing a friend's computer to post here. I actually have another chapter of this in my notebook; all I have to do it type it up. Hopefully, I can get to it soon. This chapter is pretty long, though, so hopefully it'll make up for the delay.  
  
Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews. I usually reply to all of the reviews, but I'm on limited time with the borrowed computer, so I'll just say a big THANK YOU! You all rock!  
  
If any of you read "No Kinen Ni" there's another chapter of it posted.  
  
Now on to the story. Enjoy!  
Part 13: The Greater of Two Evils  
  
"One. . . two. . . three!"  
  
Yami immediately ran, not knowing in which direction he should go, but knowing that he had to go somewhere. Suddenly, a hand gripped his, pulling him forward. Yami followed, grateful to have some sort of direction.  
  
*I can't believe I'm trusting Kaiba of all people*  
  
**He's not so bad, Yami. Besides, he's in this as deep as we are. Whatever is going on, he's as involved as we are.**  
  
*Yes, but how can I be sure that he's not going to double cross us when it becomes inconvenient to have us around?*  
  
Yugi chuckled. **You don't. That's what trust is all about**  
  
Yami growled mentally. A whizzing sound by his right ear caught his attention, and he moved his head to one side.  
  
"Damn, they're shooting at us. We have to take cover, Yami."  
  
Yami got an idea. He may not be able to see, but he could still harness his powers. He stopped and dropped to the ground, pulling Kaiba with him.  
  
"What the. . .?"  
  
"Trust me, Kaiba."  
  
Yami backed himself up against the wall, closed his eyes and concentrated. He didn't really know where their attackers were, so he had to direct his magic everywhere at once.  
  
"Lay on the floor, Kaiba. Don't question me, just do it."  
  
Kaiba didn't answer, so Yami took that as compliance. He raised his hands and channeled as much power as he could. He directed it outward in both directions, and smiled when he heard the two attackers grunt. There was a crash, and several curse words could be heard. The two men weren't completely out of commission, Yami could tell that by the sounds they were making, but they'd be delayed for a while. Yami got up, reaching out to drag Kaiba up as well.  
  
"What did you just do?"  
  
Yami laughed at the trace of fear in Kaiba's voice. "Its shadow magic, Kaiba, the same magic Pegasus used to defeat you at Duelist Kingdom. I'd be more efficient with it if I could see where I was aiming it."  
  
"It doesn't matter, you slowed them down. Let's go."  
  
Kaiba again took the lead, pulling Yami forward. Yami felt his body protest at the overuse, but decided to ignore it. He'd deal with it later. They ran for a few moments, until Kaiba pulled them through a door. They continued to run, their attacker's advance clearly heard behind them. Lucky for them, the two men's footsteps seemed father behind then they'd been before.  
  
"We have to split up."  
  
"What?" Yami asked as they continued to run as fast as they could. "We can't split up."  
  
"It's the only way, Yami. They're going to continue to come after us, so we'd make worse targets separately."  
  
"In case you've forgotten, I'm blind. I can't find my way out of here like you can." Yami said, his voice cold. "Even if I could, separating is the worst thing we can do."  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
Yami's jaw tightened, but he was too busy concentrating on staying upright as they ran to give much importance to his anger and annoyance.  
  
"The only weapon we have is my shadow magic. If we split up, we'll both be defenseless. At least together we have a chance."  
  
Kaiba didn't reply. Instead, he quickly pulled Yami into a cold room. Yami heard the sound of a door closing before Kaiba pressed him against a wall. Yami could feel Kaiba pressed to the wall beside him and realized that they had reached a hiding spot.  
  
After a few tense moments, Kaiba spoke again.  
  
"Your shadow magic is unstable because you can't fully harness it; you said so yourself."  
  
Yami's jaw tightened again in annoyance. So Kaiba had been paying attention after all.  
  
"We can't rely on it," Kaiba continued. "You're blind and injured. Your doctor said to rest, which does not include running around a hospital morgue while being chased by two men with guns. The best thing for you to do is to stay some place safe while I go get us help."  
  
"Is that the best thing for me or for you?" Yami asked, trying to contain his anger. "You are more of a target while leading around a blind man, is that it?"  
  
**Yami, you're being unfair. I'm sure that's not what Kaiba means**  
  
*I've never trusted him, Yugi. I don't understand why you're so willing to do it, especially now*  
  
Yami heard Yugi's mental sigh and echoed it with one of his own.  
  
**Everyone deserves a second chance, Yami**  
  
*Not if that second chance is going to get us killed, Aibou*  
  
"Leading around a blind man does make me a better target, but it makes you one too," Kaiba replied, interrupting Yami's conversation with Yugi. "All I'm saying is that even if you're willing to risk yourself to run around with me, there's still Yugi to think about. Do you really want to risk injuring yourself further, which could lead to Yugi being permanently blind, or worse, dead?"  
  
Kaiba's argument made Yami want to strangle him. He tilted his head up, wanting to see how truthful Kaiba was being. All he saw, however, was penetrating darkness.  
  
He wanted to keep going, but what would that mean for Yugi? It was Yugi's body that Yami was using, after all, which made Kaiba's concerns valid.  
  
**I'll agree to whatever you think is right. I trust you, Yami**  
  
Yami closed his eyes and concentrated on the body he now controlled. His head was pounding furiously, to the point where he felt nauseous. His right wrist throbbed, along with seemingly every other part of his body. He felt fatigued, but knew that he could keep going if he had to. However, what if his actions, his desire to see this through, caused permanent damage to Yugi's body? What if his carelessness and desire not to agree with Kaiba caused irreparable harm? He couldn't take that chance. He had sworn to protect Yugi on the day Yugi had released him from his prison of darkness, and that included protecting his partner from himself.  
  
"Very well, Kaiba. For Yugi's sake, I will remain behind."  
  
Yami waited for Kaiba to gloat, but that didn't happen. Instead, Kaiba patted him slightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Good. I have a good idea of where you can stay," Kaiba responded, and led him forward. After a few minutes, they came to a stop. Yami could hear some rattling going on in front of him, and he frowned in confusion.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Kaiba chuckled lightly. "Nothing much, just a little lock picking."  
  
"You're picking a lock?" Yami asked, incredulous.  
  
"Yeah. I wasn't always the way I am now, you know," Kaiba replied, a trace of sadness in his voice.  
  
Yami nodded in acknowledgement, wondering what kind of life Kaiba had led before. There was apparently more to him than Yami had thought.  
  
The two teenagers remained silent until Kaiba gave a soft, triumphant hoot.  
  
"There we go!"  
  
He pulled Yami forward, and then maneuvered him so that Yami found himself sitting on the floor, his back to a wall.  
  
"This is one of the offices in the morgue, Yami. It's out of the way and dark, so I doubt anyone would think to look for you here. I've placed you at one of the corners of the room, the one furthest away from the door. You're behind a desk, so you should not be visible to anyone who happens to glance into the office. Just stay down there, don't get up or move around. I'll come back for you as soon as I've gotten help.  
  
"What if don't come back?"  
  
"I'll be back, Yami, you have my word."  
  
Yami didn't say anything, because there really wasn't anything to say. Whether Kaiba returned for him or not was out of his hands. All he could do now was rest and regain his strength.  
  
**~~**  
  
* I don't understand why you keep hanging around here. It's not like you do anything *  
  
Ryou sighed. At least his yami was talking to him now and not attempting to take over his body. He'd tried to explain to Bakura why he was still here, why he needed to find out how Yugi was doing, but the spirit didn't seem to understand.  
  
** I already told you why I'm here. I don't really care what you think about it, I'm staying **  
  
* Well, well, what's this? You're finally getting a backbone? If the thought weren't so amusing, I'd actually be concerned *  
  
** Sometimes, I wonder if you ever had any friends or if you spent your life roaming around Egypt robbing tombs by yourself **  
  
Ryou shook his head and closed the link with his yami when Bakura began to curse at him. A few months ago, that would have frightened Ryou beyond belief. Now, he saw it as an annoyance. He was still weary of Bakura and what he could do, but Ryou now knew, after Bakura had almost killed Yugi, that he could control the spirit of the ring if he wanted to. That gave him a measure of self assurance that he hadn't had since Bakura had first made his appearance known to him.  
  
He turned the corner, not really paying attention to where he was going. He suddenly stopped when he ran into someone.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ryou said, glancing up to find himself staring at Mr. Moto's violet eyes.  
  
"It's quite alright. You're Ryou Bakura, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Moto, I am. I was just going to see how Yugi was doing."  
  
Mr. Moto smiled. "I think that Yugi's recovery is going to have to do a lot with the fact that he has such good friends to help him along." The older man paused as he summoned the elevator. "I just finished speaking with Dr. Suzuki, and he was very insistent that Yugi needs to be in bed with limited movement for at least three weeks before the swelling in his brain can go down. I'm going to need to count on you kids to make sure that he stays in bed."  
  
Ryou nodded, understanding how hard it was going to be to keep Yugi in bed and immobile for that length of time. He waited until they were in the elevator before responding.  
  
"I'll be glad to help. What else did the doctor say, if you don't mind my asking?"  
  
Mr. Moto's face saddened, and he took a deep breath as if to steady himself.  
  
"We came very close to losing him, Ryou, and Yugi came very close to being permanently blind. Even now, if he doesn't take good care of himself and rest like he's supposed to, the swelling could get worse and damage the optical nerves, which will mean that Yugi will remain permanently blind."  
  
Mr. Moto closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "I still can't believe this happened."  
  
* The old fool. You'd think that after living for as long as he has, he'd have gotten used to the fact that the world is a cruel place *  
  
Ryou ignored his yami's comments, wondering, not for the first time, what could have happened to him to make him so bitter.  
  
"Are you coming?"  
  
Ryou snapped out of his musings and realized that they'd arrived at Yugi's floor. He nodded, slightly embarrassed, and stepped out of the elevator.  
  
Both men were walking down the corridor to Yugi's room when Mr. Moto suddenly stopped.  
  
"What the . . .?"  
  
Ryou turned to where the older man was looking and saw a lump of clothing lying on the floor.  
  
"Those are Yugi's clothes," he stated. He made his way over to the bundle and picked it up. He examined it carefully, his expression quizzical. It changed to one of worry a few moments later.  
  
"Look at this."  
  
Mr. Moto held the bundle out to Ryou, and he saw the perfectly round hole that bisected the bundle of clothing. Whatever had made the hole had gone through fast enough and completely enough to have come out the other side.  
  
"Oh, my God, Yugi."  
  
Mr. Moto turned away from Ryou and headed for Yugi's room. Ryou followed, until he noticed a dark brown spot on the floor. He picked up the discarded bundle of clothes Mr. Moto had thrown to the floor and saw a large, brown spot in the area of the hole.  
  
'This looks like a bullet hole,' Ryou thought.  
  
He returned his attention to the brown spot on the ground, and his heart sped up when he came to the conclusion that the person who had been holding Yugi's clothes had been shot.  
  
Ryou resumed his walk towards Yugi's room, but another brown spot caught his eye. This one was smaller, and it was streaked, as if someone had run their fingers through it. It was located on the door jam of the storage room across from Yugi's room, but it was low to the ground, almost like whoever had made the stain had been lying on the floor. He practically ran towards the door, instinct telling him that he had to see what was behind it. Ryou pulled the door open quickly, letting the light from the hallway spill into the darkened room. What he saw on the floor of the room took his breath away.  
  
"Joey."  
  
Joey was sprawled on the floor, seemingly unconscious. Ryou desperately looked around for a light switch, and after a few minutes finally found one. He flipped it, bathing the entire room in glaring light. The new illumination gave Ryou a chilling look at what had been done to Joey.  
  
The front of Joey's shirt was covered in blood, as was his left arm and part of his face. A puddle of blood had formed underneath the blond teenager, soaking the remainder of his clothes.  
  
For a few seconds, Ryou could do nothing but stand there and stare at his friend. After his slight paralysis, Ryou ran to Joey and kneeled beside him, not noticing when Joey's blood soaked the knees of his khaki slacks. Joey's hands were on his chest, where he'd weakly attempted to stop the blood flow. Tentatively, Ryou reached out to feel Joey's neck and was gratified to feel a pulse. It was weak and unstable, but it was there.  
  
At Ryou's touch, Joey's eyes fluttered open. They were wild and unfocused, and they clearly showed the pain he was in.  
  
"Joey, what happened?" Ryou asked, putting his own hands on top of Joey's.  
  
Joey's eyes slowly focused on Ryou. He opened his mouth several times, but was unable to speak.  
  
Ryou, seeing that the wound on Joey's chest was still bleeding, took off his sweater, bunched it up, and placed it against the wound. He placed Joey's hands on top of the sweater and his own once again on top of Joey's, hoping that they could stop the bleeding.  
  
"Was attacked," Joey finally managed to whisper, his voice rough with pain. "Man after Yugi. . . in his room. . . Kaiba was there. . ." Joey trailed off, his face twisting in pain.  
  
"It's okay, Joey, don't talk. I'm going to go get help for you, okay? You're going to be fine, just hang on a little while longer."  
  
Joey didn't reply. He nodded weakly and closed his eyes.  
  
Ryou got up and ran out of the room, where he ran into Mr. Moto.  
  
"Yugi is gone. He's not in. . ." the older man trailed off as he got a good look at Ryou. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Joey's been shot."  
  
"Joey? But he's. . . the clothes! Joey told me he was going to go to my house to get clothes for Yugi. Where is he?"  
  
"He's in the storage room and he looks really bad, Mr. Moto. He said that the man that attacked him was after Yugi, and that Kaiba was there."  
  
"Mr. Moto clenched his jaw, and Ryou could see the anger flaring in his eyes.  
  
"Stay with him, Ryou. I'll go and get help."  
  
Ryou watched Mr. Moto run towards the nurse's station, and then made his way back to Joey.  
  
"Joey, you're going to be okay. Yugi's grandfather went to get help, so please hang on."  
  
Joey's eyes fluttered open once again. He tried to focus on Ryou, but the effort was too much and he had to close his eyes again. Ryou put his hands over Joey's again, squeezing them slightly in an effort to give him some comfort.  
  
"I'm going to die."  
  
Ryou gasped at the soft statement. He shook his head, as his eyes filled with tears.  
  
"No, you're not. We're going to get you help. The doctors are going to treat you and make you better, so you can live a long life."  
  
Joey actually smiled at the statement.  
  
"Ryou, you were always the optimist, just like Yugi."  
  
Joey suddenly coughed, and Ryou saw blood trickling out of the corner of Joey's mouth.  
  
"I mean it, Joey. You're not going to die."  
  
At that moment, Ryou felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned to see a nurse motioning for him to get out of the room. He nodded, and left the room, giving Joey one final glance. Ryou stepped to one side of the hallway and watched as they took Joey out on a stretcher. The blood on Joey looked so red against the white sheets, and Ryou couldn't stop looking at it.  
  
An arm wrapped itself around Ryou, and he looked up to see Mr. Moto looking at him.  
  
"Joey is going to be okay, Ryou. He's way too stubborn to just let go."  
  
Ryou nodded. He leaned into Yugi's grandfather slightly, grateful for the comfort the older man was providing. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.  
  
"You said Yugi was gone, didn't you? Where is he?"  
  
Mr. Moto's expression darkened. With one last squeeze of Ryou's shoulder, Mr. Moto removed his arm and walked into Yugi's room.  
  
"No one knows where he is. The nurse has been looking for him for the last half hour to get him to take his medication, but she hasn't been able to find him."  
  
Mr. Moto looked around the room, before sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Yugi's shoes are gone, so he's taken off somewhere again."  
  
In that instant, Solomon Moto looked every bit his age. Ryou wasn't sure how old Yugi's grandfather was, but at that moment, he looked exhausted, worn, worried and very frightened.  
  
"Joey said something about Kaiba. Could he know where Yugi is?"  
  
Mr. Moto shrugged and Ryou could clearly see the mistrust in his eyes.  
  
"I don't know, but for his sake, he better not have anything to do with Yugi's disappearance.  
  
**~~**  
  
**Why do you mistrust him so much?**  
  
Yami leaned his head back against the wall and smiled slightly at his aibou's question.  
  
*Kaiba has never given me a reason to trust him*  
  
**What about what he's doing now? He could have ditched us and saved himself a long time ago, but he didn't.**  
  
*He just 'ditched' us, as you put it, Yugi. I don't know where we are or how to bet back to the room we were in before. I'm blind, so even if I did know where we were, I wouldn't be able to get back*  
  
**We're not being held at gunpoint, Yami. We're relatively safe for the moment. Doesn't that count?**  
  
Yami sighed. Yugi's most endearing quality was that he was loyal, trustworthy, and kind. He saw the best in people, no matter what. It was ironic that a person like Yugi had ended up with him. Yami didn't know much about himself, but he did know that he was the exact opposite of Yugi: dark, untrusting, forceful, and extremely cautious. His first instinct was always to see the darkness in people in order to guard from a possible attack. He guessed that it was his nature, though he wondered if he'd always been the way he was now.  
  
Yugi's trust in people had gotten him into dangerous situations in the past, because he tended to be more concerned for others than he was for himself. Yugi took people at their word, which wasn't always the best course of action. For his sake, Yami hoped that Yugi's trust in Seto Kaiba would not be his downfall.  
  
**Yami, are you okay?**  
  
*I am fine, Yugi. I was just thinking about the situation*  
  
**Let me guess, you think that I'm wrong for trusting Kaiba**  
  
Yami could hear the determination in Yugi's mental voice. It was one of the things that Yami admired the most about Yugi. Not many would stand by their morals and convictions like Yugi did.  
  
*I trust your judgment, Aibou. I may not trust Kaiba, but I am willing to trust your faith in him.*  
  
Yugi was silent for a moment, and Yami began to wonder if he'd said something wrong.  
  
**You're not going to fight me on this?**  
  
Yami chuckled lightly at the surprise in Yugi's voice. *No, Yugi, I will not fight you on this.*  
  
A loud crash close to him suddenly got Yami's attention.  
  
*Someone is coming*  
  
He mentally scolded himself for having let his guard down while talking to Yugi. Yami tilted his head to one side, trying to figure out what the crash had been and where it had come from. The room was silent now, which led Yami to wonder if the noise had simply been a product of his conflicting thoughts.  
  
Yami carefully held out his arms to feel the things around him. For a moment, he felt nothing but the smooth, semi-warm wall he was leaning against. After a few moments and some shuffling around, Yami came into contact with the leg of a chair. He followed the curve of the chair with his hands and found the cushion. Slowly, he used the wide base of the chair to push himself up so that he stood beside the chair. He continued his exploration, surprised when his hands landed on a smooth surface right away. He felt the surface, and realized, from the things on it, that he was touching the top of a desk.  
  
A soft footfall to his right caught Yami's attention. He was about to call out to see if Kaiba had returned, when instinct told him to lunge in the direction of the footfall. A loud explosion near his right ear left Yami reeling, and his forward momentum led him straight into the man who had just fired a gun at him.  
  
"You stupid kid," the man muttered as Yami fell on top of him.  
  
Yami tucked his chin into his chest as he fell and smiled when the man he hit grunted in pain. Yami's momentum was enough to send them both to the floor. As they hit, Yami heard the gun in the man's hands clatter to the ground. He was fighting on instinct alone, but his senses were sharp enough now to let him feel and hear where the man was.  
  
A sudden backhand rattled his teeth, and Yami could feel blood quickly feeling his mouth from his busted lip. He tucked his legs under him, and then pushed with all of his strength, hoping to push the bigger and stronger man off of him. The attacker once again grunted in pain.  
  
When he could no longer feel the man's weight on top of him, Yami quickly scrambled to his feet. He didn't know where the door was, but he figured that any place other than where he was now would be preferable. As he took a step forward, his foot hit something hard.  
  
** It's the gun ** Yugi suddenly said.  
  
Yami leaned down to pick it up, figuring that it was better with him than with the other man. As his fingers closed around it, he was tackled to the ground. The man grabbed the hand that was holding the gun and squeezed it. Yami's breath was knocked from his lungs as the man's full weight fell on him, and he tried without success to push the man off of him. He felt his lungs screaming in agony, but couldn't manage to take a deep enough breath to satisfy them. The man pinned Yami's legs down with his knees, so that Yami wouldn't be able to kick him again. He refused to let go of the gun, however. In his current position, he was as good as dead if the man managed to get control of the gun.  
  
*Yugi, I am not going to be able to get him off of me. I have to use my magic*  
  
After the duel with Kaiba at Duelist Kingdom, they'd come to an understanding about Yami's powers. He had agreed to warn Yugi when he was about to use them, and agreed to refrain if Yugi wished him to do so.  
  
**Do what you need to do, Yami**  
  
*I might kill him*  
  
Yugi remained silent  
  
Yami took Yugi's silence as agreement and released the gun.  
  
"That's what I thought, you little brat," the man muttered, and began to get up.  
  
Before he could completely raise himself, Yami reached out and grabbed the man's arms. Yami was already weakened from the earlier use of his magic, be he hoped that he was still strong enough to at least disable his attacker.  
  
Yami concentrated on the man he was holding and let the dark energy build within his mind. The man was slowly pulling himself free, but that didn't matter anymore. As his hold on the attacker loosened, Yami released the energy, sending it flowing down his arms, through his hands, and into the man. The attacker violently jerked as the energy flowed into him, inadvertently slamming Yami's head against the ground. Because of the close proximity of the attack, there was a slight backlash, and a portion of the energy returned down the path Yami had set for it and slammed into Yami.  
  
The attacker screamed, and then completely let go of Yami. As the energy made its way through his body, Yami also screamed. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the gun once again clattering to the ground.  
  
**~~**  
  
Kaiba walked quietly, but quickly, towards the dock area of the hospital. His plan was to make it to the outside then re-enter the hospital via the front door and call the police. He wasn't sure where the two men had gone after they had passed his and Yugi's hiding place in the morgue, but Kaiba hoped that they weren't anywhere near him.  
  
Unexpected noises in the corridor ahead of him caused Kaiba to flatten himself against the wall he was walking besides. He hadn't seen anyone else around this floor so far, but it was possible that there were some people still around. Or, the two men had finally found him. Luckily, he was far enough away from Yami that if he were caught, the younger teen wouldn't get dragged into it too.  
  
After a few minutes of unconsciously holding his breath, waiting for movement that never came, Kaiba started walking again. He quickened his pace as the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He had to get out of there and get help, and he had to do it soon.  
  
He had hated leaving Yami behind by himself, but hadn't really had much of a choice. It had been easier for him to get around on his own. In addition, Kaiba was worried about Yami's condition. The more they had walked, the more Yami had stumbled. Kaiba had seen the pained look on his face and knew that Yami wouldn't have been able to continue on for much longer. Leaving him behind in a safe place had been the only option. Kaiba just hoped that he hadn't made a mistake in doing so.  
  
Directly ahead, Kaiba could finally see the door that would lead him to the outside and, hopefully, to safety. He calmly walked towards the door, feeling his spirits lift at the prospect of ending this whole nightmare. He reached out and put a hand on the door. He was about to open it, when a voice stopped him.  
  
"Hello, Seto Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba turned quickly, his heart pounding in his chest, expecting to see the men that had dragged them out of Yugi's room. Instead, Kaiba saw a teenager about Joey's age standing in the middle of the hallway. The young man was tanned, blond, and had a pair of striking lavender eyes. He wore black slacks, a white shirt, and a lot of jewelry. In his hands, Kaiba saw a golden rod. Upon closer examination, Kaiba noticed that the rod had the same strange markings that the puzzle Yugi wore around his neck did.  
  
"Who are you?" Kaiba asked.  
  
The teenager smirked. "Who I am is not important, but you will know me soon enough. For now, all you need to know is that the man that was after you is dead."  
  
"What?"  
  
'How did the kid know about what was going on?'  
  
"Did you think you were really that clever? Didn't you wonder why he didn't come after you? Even though that idiot is an amateur, he was still much better than you."  
  
The blond took a few steps closer to him, and Kaiba could tell that the boy was definitely foreign. "He was following you; toying with you to see how many of your buttons he could push. I simply got rid of him. "  
  
"Why would you do that?" Kaiba asked. "What do you hope to gain by helping me?"  
  
This Kaiba could understand. After all, a person in his position knew that you didn't do anything without expecting something in return.  
  
The other teen shrugged. "Let's just say that this is a business matter for me. The guy following you was a member of an American organization that deals in things similar to what my organization deals with. He thought that he was being smart by coming to Japan to beat me to my prize. Sadly, he just learned that no one crosses me."  
  
The younger teen's act wasn't scaring Kaiba, but he'd play along, if only to get more information.  
  
"What exactly are you looking for?"  
  
At Kaiba's question, the other teen grinned. "That is something that you're familiar with. What I am after is the Egyptian God cards."  
  
Kaiba's stomach suddenly did a flip-flop. Ishizu had warned him about the Rare Hunters when she'd told him about the God cards. Could this kid standing in front of him be one of them?  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
The blond smiled. "I know that you have one, because my sister gave it to you. The God of Obelisk is the only card that I don't have, but I intend to get it, along with another item that is precious to me."  
  
Kaiba struggled to keep his expression blank, even though the feeling of betrayal was churning through his veins. Ishizu had set him up.  
  
As if reading his mind, the boy spoke. "Don't worry, Ishizu has nothing to do with me. She may be my sister, but we don't see eye to eye. Whatever bogus story she gave you, I have no doubt that she believed it.  
  
The teen walked to stand directly in front of Kaiba and held his golden rod between them. Kaiba couldn't help but look at the strange piece of jewelry. It was almost as if he were drawn to it. He tried to step away from the blond, but found that his feet would not move.  
  
"The God cards aren't the only thing I'm after. I also want your friend Yugi."  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"I see that you weren't expecting that. It's not really your friend that I'm after, however. He is, after all, just a vessel. I want the Millennium Puzzle, and the spirit of the Egyptian Pharaoh that inhabits it. You, Seto Kaiba, are going to get it for me."  
  
Kaiba snorted. "Are you are of your mind? I don't know who you are, but I do know that you are insane; now get out of my way."  
  
He was about to leave, but found that he was unable to move. He looked down at his feet, mortified that he couldn't move them.  
  
"I'm assuming that you're familiar with the Millennium Puzzle from your association with Yugi Moto. Now, you're going to become familiar with my Millennium Rod."  
  
Kaiba looked up to see an almost joyful look on the blonde's face.  
  
"The Millennium Rod allows me to impose my will on others. Since you know where Yugi Moto is and I don't, you will take me to him."  
  
Kaiba shook his head. There was no way he was going to take this crazy guy to where he'd left Yami.  
  
"I'm not going to take you anywhere."  
  
The blond only smiled. "Come, Seto Kaiba, lead the way."  
  
Kaiba was about to say that he'd never do what the teen wanted, but realized that he was already moving back in the direction of the morgue where he'd left Yami. He tried to stop himself from walking, but his body didn't obey him. Nothing that his brain told his body worked, so Kaiba was helpless to watch as he walked to the morgue. It was quite an odd sensation, being in your body but not having control of it. It was very disconcerting. The closer he got to the morgue, the more desperately he fought the mind control he was under.  
  
"I told you that I could impose my will on others," the teen said. "Now, I must leave you. Don't worry, I'll be observing and controlling every step you take.  
  
Kaiba resumed his walk. Before long, he was standing in front of the main entrance to the morgue. The blond teenager was no longer in sight, but Kaiba still couldn't control his body. He was merely along for the ride.  
  
"By the way, my name is Marik Ishtahl," an eerie voice in his head said, startling Kaiba. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Seto Kaiba."  
  
**~~**  
  
I chose to go with Marik's American name (I hope I spelled it right. If not, please point it out to me so I can fix it). It just seemed easier.  
  
Coming up: Yugi gets a surprise. . . so does Tristan. . . we get to meet the Wheelers. Well, Mr. Wheeler at least. . . Marik sort of explains himself. Stay tuned! 


	14. Appearances Can be Deceiving

Greetings!  
  
Welcome to another installment of this torturous little story. Well, torturous for Yugi, at least. My computer is fixed now, so that's a good thing. I have half of the next chapter already written, so that's also a good thing. Let's just hope I can finish it some time soon.  
  
Reviews:  
  
TZ: Freaky, huh? :o)  
  
Lavender Wonder: "Crap in a hat"? Hee, hee. . . that had me snickering for a while. I like!  
  
Shiney mew: Oh, yeah. . . if Joey kicks the bucket, Yugi isn't going to be happy. Then again, I don't think Yugi's been happy at all for the entire fic. *bad authoress*  
  
Starheart: Now be careful and don't pull out all of your hair. I wouldn't want you to go bald on my account! ^__^  
  
Mutou Yasu: It's been fun to mess with Kaiba. I figured if anyone could do it, Marik could.  
  
Sci fi fan: Thanks for the good wishes!  
  
Amiasha: Yup, Yami did get a lot of action, which surprised even me. I'm usually more Yugi centric.  
  
HikariMew: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!  
  
Darkened Soul: Oops!! Sorry about that. I swear that the cliffhangers aren't done on purpose. Most of my chapters just seem to end that way.  
  
Jadesaber: Thank you so much for the constant replies! I really appreciate them, and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story.  
  
Benign sadist: I'm glad you're enjoying how I write Ryou. I don't really know much about the character (since not much has been said on the show) but I like him and I think that he needs to stand up to Bakura.  
  
QueenOfHearts: Dare I ask if you've lost your mind yet? :o) Just kidding. Hope this update is soon enough!  
  
Luna339: Lazy authoress, huh? Shame on you! I'm just kidding. Laziness is sometimes a problem for me too. Though not recently. It's nice to have my computer back, though.  
  
Thank you all, as always!! I do have the best reviewers. Again, forgive me if I leave anyone out. I don't do it on purpose! Now, on to the story.  
Part 14: Appearances Can be Deceiving  
Yugi stirred, and immediately groaned at the waves of pain that rushed through him. His body ached everywhere, but especially his head. His arms and legs felt like putty, and the rest of him felt no better. He rode out the pain and when he finally managed to get it under control, he opened his eyes. For a moment, he panicked because all he could see was darkness, and then he remembered that he was blind. While the thought did not bring him any comfort, it at least explained his situation.  
  
It took him an even longer while to remember what had happened. The events were fuzzy, as if he'd been a second hand participant. With a gasp, everything hit him at once and he realized that he had been a second hand participant.  
  
** Yami, are you okay? **  
  
When there was no reply from his partner, Yugi knew that something was wrong. He remembered Yami telling him about having to use his dark magic even though he was already weak. What if Yami had been hurt as a result of the magic attack?  
  
** Yami? **  
  
Again, there was no response. What could have happened to him? Yugi reached out to him through their link, but hit a wall. Whatever was going on with Yami, he'd chosen to shut Yugi out. Yugi didn't know whether to be hurt or worried at that, but decided that Yami had his reasons.  
  
Yugi sat up slowly, biting back another groan as the pain made another appearance. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't stay where he was, because if one man had already found him, it meant that the other could not be far behind. Yugi didn't want to be around when the man finally showed up.  
  
When he thought he was ready, Yugi made it all the way up to his feet. He had taken a few, tentative steps when his foot suddenly hit something, sending him sprawling, once again, to the ground. Yugi winced in anticipation of hitting the floor, but ended up landing on something soft instead.  
  
Curious, Yugi ran his hands over what he'd landed on and gasped when his hands hit something that felt like a mouth. Despite his better judgment, Yugi continued to run his hands over the face, tracing someone's cheeks, nose and eyes. The face felt very cold beneath his hands.  
  
"ACK!"  
  
Yugi quickly stumbled back, painfully landing on his butt, when he realized that he'd landed on top of the man Yami had killed with his magic attack. He scooted backwards away from the man until his back hit the nearest wall. His heart was pounding and his breath was coming in short gasps. He could still feel the cold, clammy skin of the man beneath his hands and it only made Yugi shake harder. He brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He buried his face in his arms and desperately tried to calm down.  
  
Yugi forced himself to take deep breaths until his heart slowed to semi regular speed. He couldn't afford to lose control right now. He had to hold himself together long enough to get out of the horrible situation he found himself in. Only when he was safe could he afford to dissolve into tears.  
  
Yugi got to his feet again and was very careful where he stepped. When he got to the dead man, he gingerly stepped over him, because he was afraid to touch him again.  
  
'Just stay calm, stay calm,' he told himself.  
  
He repeated that over and over as he took small, careful steps forward. He was hoping to reach what he thought was the front of the room. He wasn't really sure about where it was, but he had a feeling that he was going the right way. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a noise coming from somewhere in front of him. He was about to try and find a hiding place, when he heard a door open. He felt the presence before the person spoke.  
  
"Hello, Yugi."  
  
Yugi's head snapped to the left at the sound of the very unexpected voice.  
  
"Kaiba! What are you doing here?"  
  
Relief flooded through him at the familiar voice, and he smiled.  
  
"I have something to take care of."  
  
Kaiba's answer and the tone of his voice made the hairs on the back of Yugi's neck rise. Kaiba sounded like he had the day they'd dueled at Duelist Kingdom: cold, cruel, and ruthless. It was a great contrast to the way he'd sounded just a few hours ago when they'd been up in his hospital room.  
  
"What do you have to take care of, Kaiba?" Yugi asked as he carefully felt his way around the room. Now that he knew where the door was, he intended to make it out of the room before Kaiba did.  
  
Kaiba chuckled, but Yugi heard no humor in it.  
  
"Oh, it's just a little matter of retrieving you and taking you to a much safer place."  
  
Yugi heard Kaiba's footsteps and felt him get closer. He tried to keep his distance as best he could.  
  
"I thought you said I'd be safe here."  
  
Kaiba remained quiet, and Yugi used the time to feel his way across the length of the wall until he felt the door leaning against the wall.  
  
"I was wrong. Where I'm taking you is safer."  
  
Yugi's hand reached the opening of the door. His instincts told him to run, and he was going to do just that.  
  
"I don't think so, Kaiba."  
  
With that, Yugi stepped out of the room and began to run. He held his arms out in front of him to hopefully keep himself from slamming face first into a wall or a closed door. He heard Kaiba curse behind him, and then heard his footsteps as he, too, began to run.  
  
"You're not going to get anywhere, kid, so you might as well give it up."  
  
Yugi ignored him. He ran as fast as he could, hoping not to trip over something. He could hear Kaiba's footsteps as if they were the only things in the world and could tell that the older teen was getting closer.  
  
Suddenly, Yugi hit something hard, but yielding. With a sigh of relief, he realized that he'd hit another door. He pushed it open and then ran to the right. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to go somewhere.  
  
A pair of hands grabbed him and pulled him backwards, before two strong arms pinned him against a broad chest.  
  
"No! Kaiba, let go of me!"  
  
He squirmed and tried to loosen the grip around his chest and waist, but wasn't able to. He kicked with his legs and was satisfied to hear Kaiba grunt in pain.  
  
"Why are you doing this? Let go of me!"  
  
Kaiba responded by tightening his grip. Yugi felt himself moving and figured that Kaiba had started to walk.  
  
"Help! Someone help me!  
  
Yugi was about to yell again, when a strong hand clamped over his mouth and nose. Only one arm was wrapped around him now, but it was more than enough to keep him in place.  
  
"Shut up or I will break your neck."  
  
The command was emphasized when Kaiba turned Yugi's head to one side, pushing down on it painfully. His already injured head protested the rough treatment, but there was nothing Yugi could do about it.  
  
"Or, I can just let you suffocate."  
  
Yugi's lungs were beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen. His head was still being painfully pushed to one side so he couldn't even struggle.  
  
"Are you going to cooperate?"  
  
Kaiba's voice sounded cold, empty and sent chills down Yugi's spine. Whatever was going on, Yugi didn't really think he wanted to know why Kaiba was acting the way he was. All he knew at that moment was that if Kaiba didn't remove his hand, he was going to suffocate.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Are you going to cooperate?"  
  
Kaiba heard himself say the words, but he wasn't the one actually speaking. Yes, it was his voice, but he wasn't consciously forming the words.  
  
He could feel Yugi trembling, his heart beating fast against Kaiba's arm. He could also suddenly feel the wetness of Yugi's tears as they hit his hand. He wanted nothing more than to put Yugi down and apologize for his actions, but he couldn't do that. His body was no longer his to control, which scared Kaiba more than anything else had ever done before.  
  
He heard Yugi whimper and try to move his head away from Kaiba's hand. Kaiba knew that in a few seconds, Yugi would suffocate. He needed to get his hand away from Yugi's nose, but nothing Kaiba did accomplished that. He was nothing more than a passenger in his own body.  
  
'You're going to kill him, damn it, let him breathe,' Kaiba mentally yelled to Marik.  
  
'Ah, so you do care for the little one. How sweet,' Marik replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'It's too bad he's not going to trust you when you're through with him.'  
  
'You need him, you said so yourself. You don't want to kill him.'  
  
Kaiba returned his attention to the still struggling Yugi. His struggles had gotten weaker and less frantic, which meant that he was reaching his limit.  
  
Without warning, Kaiba's hand shifted so that it only covered Yugi's mouth. Kaiba mentally sighed in relief, and then cringed at the sound of Yugi's labored breathing.  
  
"Next time, do what I say. Are we clear on that?"  
  
Yugi nodded weakly, and then went limp in Kaiba's arms. Kaiba thought that Yugi had passed out from a lack of oxygen, but one look at Yugi's wide open eyes told him differently. Yugi had an almost resigned look on his face, one that worried Kaiba.  
  
Kaiba started walking back towards the morgue. He headed to one of the cabinets that lined the wide, cold room. As he passed, he noticed the steel tables that took up most of the space in the room. He mentally shuddered when he realized that a few of the tables were occupied.  
  
"I'm going to take my hand off your mouth now. You're not going to scream, correct?" To make a point, Kaiba tightened his hold on the teen, causing Yugi to groan.  
  
Yugi shook his head.  
  
"Good."  
  
Kaiba released the hand and opened the cabinet he was standing in front of. He rummaged inside until he could see a small, white container. As he pulled it out, he read the label: Chloroform.  
  
'Damn,' Kaiba thought, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to stop what was about to happen.  
  
Kaiba took Yugi to one of the empty tables and roughly laid him down on it. For the first time, Kaiba was able to see the numerous cuts, bruises and dried blood on Yugi's face. There was also some blood staining the shirt Yugi was wearing.  
  
For a moment, Kaiba was confused about where Yugi could have gotten all the bruises, since he hadn't had them all the last time he'd seen the younger man. Kaiba then remembered seeing a body on the floor of the room he'd left Yugi in. It must have been the body of one of the men that had brought them down here. Yami had probably killed him while trying to defend himself, but not before the man had done some damage.  
  
"Why are you doing this, Kaiba? You said you would help."  
  
Yugi's voice was eerily detached, and when Kaiba looked down at the table, he saw that Yugi's hands were gripping it so hard that his knuckles had turned white.  
  
"Didn't I tell you not to talk?"  
  
Without warning, Kaiba ripped off a piece of Yugi's blood stained T-shirt. He uncapped the bottle of chloroform and poured a generous amount of it on the scrap of cloth. He put the bottle down, and then put the cloth over Yugi's mouth and nose.  
  
Yugi struggled then. He gripped Kaiba's hand, attempting to get it away from his face, but it didn't do any good. Yugi's eyes registered fear and helplessness, but Kaiba was powerless to do anything about his actions. All he could do was watch as his body was manipulated into harming a good person, someone he'd unexpectedly come to care about, and wanted nothing more than to fight, overcome the situation. Kaiba had already tried that, with no success.  
  
Yugi finally went limp. His arms dropped back onto the table, making a loud clang as they hit. Kaiba removed the cloth and threw it to the ground. He knew that he'd be hearing Yugi's cries in his nightmares for a very long time.  
  
He stood there, but nothing happened. For a split second, he thought that he'd gotten control of his body back, but when he tried to move away from the table, he couldn't.  
  
'Pick him up.'  
  
Kaiba's body did as instructed. He picked Yugi up and cradled him as if he were a small child. He quickly walked out of the morgue and made his way back to the door and out of the hospital.  
  
"Where am I going?"  
  
Marik laughed, which grated on Kaiba's nerves. 'Don't worry about the little details, Seto Kaiba. Leave them to me.'  
  
Kaiba began walking, heading away from the hospital. He'd been walking for a few minutes when he heard someone running up behind him.  
  
"Kaiba, what the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
'That's Tristan. Good, maybe he can do something to help.'  
  
Kaiba stopped walking. He didn't like that, because it meant that Marik was planning to do something.  
  
Tristan came around to stop in front of him, and Kaiba saw his eyes widen as he saw Yugi.  
  
"You bastard, what did you do to him? Where are you taking him?"  
  
"That is none of your concern, now get out of my way."  
  
"I don't think so, Kaiba. Yugi's grandfather was right, we shouldn't have trusted you. Now give him to me. I'm taking him back to his room."  
  
Kaiba laughed a loud, long, and sinister laugh that made Tristan wince. Inwardly, Kaiba winced too.  
  
"What exactly are you going to do about it, Tristan? You're all alone."  
  
"Yeah, well, so are you."  
  
Kaiba mentally gritted his teeth. Marik wanted Tristan to get back to the hospital and tell all of Yugi's friends that he'd done this to Yugi so that they'd all think he had wanted to kidnap Yugi all along. It wasn't enough for Marik to destroy Yugi's trust in him; he wanted to destroy everyone else's trust in him as well.  
  
"You're all talk, Tristan. I don't think you can actually back up your words."  
  
Kaiba saw Tristan clench his hands and knew that the other teen would attack. As Tristan lunged forward, Kaiba reached out with a long leg and swept Tristan's legs out from under him. Tristan went sprawling to the ground, and Kaiba heard a loud crack as Tristan's head hit the pavement. The teenager remained on the ground, unconscious.  
  
"So much for the macho act," Kaiba said, and continued on his way.  
  
After fifteen minutes of walking, Kaiba arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse by the docks. His arms ached from carrying Yugi but he'd had no choice in the matter. He walked around the building and came upon a door. He stepped up to it and it soundlessly opened. Kaiba walked inside, expecting to see Marik waiting for him. Instead, he saw nothing but a large room full of crates. The only illumination came from several large windows in the ceiling, which bathed the room in semi darkness.  
  
Kaiba headed towards the back of the room. Once he reached the far corner, he leaned down and set Yugi on the floor. The younger teen was still unconscious, and a part of Kaiba hoped he remained that way. He didn't know what Marik wanted with Yugi, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be anything good.  
  
"Welcome, Seto Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba turned, suddenly realizing that he had control of his body again. Marik stood a few feet away, close enough so that Kaiba could see him clearly, but not close enough to attack.  
  
"Why did you bring us here?"  
  
Marik made as if to walk to Yugi, but Kaiba stood in the way.  
  
"Don't be fooled, Kaiba. Just as I can relinquish my control over you, I can easily regain it."  
  
With that, Marik raised the golden rod and Kaiba saw it glow. With a sinking feeling, he tried to take a step towards Yugi, but was frozen in place.  
  
Marik made it a point to walk close to Kaiba, smirking as he passed. Kaiba could do nothing but follow Marik with his eyes.  
  
The blond teen kneeled next to Yugi and traced his fingers over his face, lingering slightly over the bandage at his temple and the various other bruises.  
  
"The host is so very young. It's ironic that he shares his body with one so old."  
  
Kaiba didn't quite know what to make of that. Instead of trying to figure it out, he just observed.  
  
Marik dropped his hands and slowly traced his fingers over the symbols on the puzzle Yugi wore around his neck. He held it carefully, almost reverently, as if it were something he'd always wanted.  
  
A bright light suddenly emanated from the puzzle, temporarily blinding Kaiba. When he could see again, he saw Marik sprawled on the floor. Marik was shaking, and Kaiba hoped that whatever had happened to him had hurt him. After a few moments of observation, Kaiba realized that Marik was laughing.  
  
"The pharaoh is strong and willful, but he won't be that way for long. I'll break him, even if I have to kill the host to do it."  
  
Kaiba watched Marik get up from the floor and dust himself off. He walked to Kaiba and stopped directly in front of him.  
  
"I wouldn't try anything idiotic if I were you. The two men that were chasing you at the hospital were amateurs compared to my men."  
  
Marik walked away. He was almost to the front door when he stopped and turned to face Kaiba again.  
  
"Wake him up. I'll be back to talk to him."  
  
With that, Marik walked out of the warehouse, leaving Kaiba to wonder what he'd gotten himself into.  
  
**~~**  
  
I know, I know, I pick on Yugi way too much. I should stop that. My muse always has other ideas, though.  
  
Next up: Well, we were supposed to meet Mr. Wheeler in this chapter, but I never did finish that scene. So now it'll be in the next chapter. For once, I actually have no clue what the next chapter is going to have (other than Mr. Wheeler). Any suggestions? 


	15. Fragile Balance

Greetings! Here is another chapter for your enjoyment.  
  
I know that I don't do the disclaimer in every chapter, but it is stated in the first one and carries out throughout the story.  
  
One note for today. As far as Ryou Bakura is concerned: Yami Bakura is referred to as the spirit of the ring, or just the spirit. Ryou is referred to as Bakura. I went back and read an earlier chapter and saw it written this way. I just wanted to remind you.  
  
Replies:  
  
Starheart: You hurt the ones you love, remember? :o) I hope you were able to get your own chapter done. Thanks for the compliment, though!  
  
QueenOfHearts: What evil cliffie? I don't recall seeing one in the chapter! I'm just kidding. I'll try to cut back on them, though. I don't want to be responsible for the loss of your mind :o))  
  
Jaid Skywalker: Poor Yugi is right. I swear, the kid never gets a break!  
  
Treska SilverFlame: Hey there! Thanks for giving my stories a shot. I'm very glad that you liked them.  
  
shiney mew: You're too funny! I like that image of Marik and the Fluffy Dance, though!  
  
Joy-girl: You're right, Yugi does tend to be rather trusting. Then again, we all have our limits eventually.  
  
TZ: Malik is definitely evil, and he's insane. It doesn't help that his dubbed voice sounds like that of some homicidal maniac *shudder*.  
  
Chibizoo: Wow. . . I'm very flattered, thank you! Thanks for taking the time to review.  
  
lilandriss: Yugi and Yami are a lot of fun to write, and I'm very glad that you're enjoying their scenes in this story. Especially those first ones, since I wasn't quite sure what I was doing yet.  
  
Lavender Wonder: Hee, hee. . . oh, stop it! I'm going to bust a gut over here from the laughter!! So funny! I'll have to find a place to use some of those. I can just see Joey uttering some of them, can't you? Kaiba doing the Macarena, huh?? Now that's something I'd love to see. And yes, Marik is scary. I personally find him scarier before he turns into the REALLY insane one.  
  
Mutou Yasu: Thanks for reminding me about Marik and the vengeance thing. I had just watched that episode with Yami and the mime, so I was thinking of what Marik had said there. Wanting Yami dead for killing his father makes MUCH more sense for Marik than wanting to be pharaoh. Didn't Shadi tell him it was Yami that had killed his father or something like that? I saw the episodes a while back so I don't quite remember what happened. Not to mention the lousy subtitles. . . Wait a minute, they become friends with Marik? How does that happen??  
  
Labannya: Discovering new stories is a good thing, right? :o) I wish I had more time to actually read more stories, but I spend my free time writing instead. About Marik and his father: I have seen the episodes where that's explained, I'd just totally forgotten about it. The father was a total bastard, and that whole carving on the back thing is just insane. . . kind of explains why Marik is so nutty. Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic.  
  
stupid kid 04 and blah: Welcome to the fic. It's better to join late than never, right? I hope that you continue to enjoy it.  
  
Itsuka Tenshi Ni: Lazy, me? Nah. . . not at all! Well, maybe sometimes. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! I've had a blast writing it. Yugi and Yami are good characters to mess with, and so is Kaiba.  
  
Amiasha: :o)) Don't wonder too far off. . . we wouldn't want you to get lost, you know! Just kidding. Ohh, and speaking of Joey fighting the mind control: weren't those episodes when Yugi dueled the controlled Joey some of the best?? I think they're the ones with the most angst that I've seen so far. I'm afraid of how they're going to be edited when dubbed into English, though.  
  
Thank you, thank you very much for all the wonderful reviews! Now, I'll shut up and let you read. Enjoy!!  
Part 15: Fragile Balance  
  
"Where is he, where is my son?"  
  
Bakura lifted his head at the sound of the voice. He had never met Joey's father, so he hadn't known what to expect. The detached, aggressive man standing a few feet away wasn't what Bakura had imagined.  
  
"Mr. Wheeler?"  
  
The man turned at Bakura's soft question. Mr. Wheeler's eyes widened as he saw Bakura, and he advanced quickly, until Bakura was forced to lift his head to meet the taller man's eyes.  
  
"Is that Joey's blood on you?"  
  
Bakura nodded. "I found him, Mr. Wheeler. I would never hurt him."  
  
Mr. Wheeler nodded once. He didn't really look like he cared one way or the other. He seemed more annoyed at the fact that he had to be at the hospital at all.  
  
"Where is Joey now?"  
  
"He's in surgery right now. The nurses wouldn't give me any more information than that, because I'm not family, so you might want to go talk to them."  
  
Mr. Wheeler pierced Bakura with an intense glare before whirling around, presumably to go talk to a nurse. Bakura stared after him for a while, before he sat back down on his chair. Joey's father was angry, but Bakura doubted that it was because someone had hurt his son.  
  
* People like that are made, Ryou *  
  
** What do you mean? **  
  
Bakura could almost feel the spirit of the ring sighing. * People like him care about nothing but themselves. Children to them, especially their own children, are just something that they have to put up with. *  
  
Bakura, shocked to hear something that thoughtful and personal from the spirit, was at a loss for words. It took him a while to formulate a reply.  
  
** Is that what your father did to you? **  
  
Bakura suddenly felt the mental link between him and the spirit slam shut.  
  
** I guess I was right. **  
  
"Has there been any word on Joey?"  
  
Bakura turned to see Mr. Moto walking towards him.  
  
"No. They won't tell me anything. All I know is that Joey is in surgery and that his father is here. What about Yugi?"  
  
Mr. Moto shook his head and dropped onto the chair besides Bakura.  
  
"Nothing. Hospital security is reviewing their security tapes, but they haven't found anything. They're also searching the hospital, but so far have come up empty handed."  
  
Bakura leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His head suddenly hurt.  
  
"I don't understand. Why would someone kidnap Yugi, and maybe even Kaiba, and then shoot Joey? Do you think it could be the same person, or persons, that attacked Yugi in the alley?"  
  
"I don't know, Ryou, and no one seems to be able to give me an answer."  
  
Both men sat quietly, each pondering their own thoughts, until Bakura heard footsteps approaching. He turned opened his eyes, expecting to see Mr. Wheeler again, but instead saw a disheveled Tristan running towards them. Tristan's face was red, and Bakura could see a nasty scrape on the left side of his face.  
  
"What's going on?" Tristan asked as soon as he reached them.  
  
"Tristan, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Mr. Moto asked.  
  
"Kaiba attacked me, that's what happened," Tristan replied. He looked agitated and very angry. "I took the back way here and saw him leaving the hospital. I parked my bike to go talk to him, when I noticed that he was carrying Yugi. I asked him what was going on, and he told me that it was none of my business. When I tried to take Yugi from him, he attacked me and knocked me out."  
  
Bakura's eyes widened. Joey had mentioned something about Kaiba, but he would never have imagined that he'd taken Yugi.  
  
"I knew it," Mr. Moto exclaimed. "That kid is nothing but trouble. It was a mistake to leave him with Yugi."  
  
Bakura wasn't so sure.  
  
* It figures. You're watching me to make sure that I don't harm the runt, * the spirit of the ring stated, sarcasm dripping off his voice, * and leave it to Kaiba to fool everyone into trusting him, only to turn around and show everyone how deceitful he is. *  
  
"Did Kaiba say anything to you? Did he say where he was taking Yugi?"  
  
Tristan looked at Bakura and seemed confused at Bakura's lack of anger.  
  
"No, he didn't. He was too busy knocking me out to have a conversation with me. What's going on here? What are you two doing in this part of the hospital? I figured you'd be in Yugi's room."  
  
Bakura readied himself for the difficult explanation, but Yugi's grandfather saved him from it.  
  
"Joey's been shot, Tristan. He's in surgery now."  
  
"What? How did he get shot?"  
  
"We don't know," Mr. Moto replied, "but it may have something to do with Yugi's disappearance."  
  
Tristan's eyes widened. "So you're saying that Kaiba shot Joey? He did kidnap Yugi, after all. Maybe Joey just got in his way."  
  
"It's a possibility," Mr. Moto said.  
  
"We need to go talk to the police, then. Come on, let's go."  
  
Bakura stayed where he was as the two men left to go find the police officers that were searching the hospital.  
  
* You don't believe Kaiba did it? *  
  
** I don't know **  
  
* Don't tell me that you don't see it. Kaiba wanted something, Joey got in the way, and he eliminated the obstacle. I, for one, didn't think Kaiba had it in him. I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that he does. I'll make sure to be careful around him next time. *  
  
Bakura shook his head at the admiration in the spirit's voice. Only he would value someone who had shot someone else. He didn't know why, but Bakura didn't think Kaiba had done it. It was hard, because he didn't think Tristan was lying, but he just couldn't help but think that there was another explanation.  
  
**~~**  
  
Yami stepped up to the door to his soul room and laid his hand on the cold, hard surface. The room was dark, of course. Outlines could be seen at certain points, but they weren't bright enough to denote the object they represented. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been trapped in this place. Countless times, he'd stepped up to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. It had become a ritual to him now, something he did every day. Well, every time he thought it was a new day.  
  
He felt empty, lost, and out of sorts. The ever-present darkness had ceased to crush in on him after a few centuries spent trapped in this ever- shifting room. Now, it was his companion, his way of life, the only thing to keep him company. He didn't remember what he looked like or where he'd come from. All he knew was that he was here, and here he would stay until. . . well, he didn't know what would get him out of the room.  
  
Half heartedly, he shifted his hand from the surface of the door down to the elaborate knob that marred its smooth surface. He twisted it, knowing that it wouldn't turn. With a surprised gasp, Yami realized that the knob was turning. He pulled the door open quickly, afraid that if he didn't, it would become welded shut once again. Once the door was opened, he stepped out into a long hallway and immediately noticed the door directly in front of him. It was unmarked, and a dim light shone from the space between the floor and the bottom of the door. Frowning, Yami stepped up to the new door and put his hand on it as well.  
  
Unlike his door, this one was smooth and warm. The light that now bathed his feet was like an apparition to Yami. He couldn't believe he was actually seeing it. He slid his hand down to the knob and turned it, again surprised when it opened. He quietly stepped inside the room and wasn't prepared for what he saw.  
  
The room was bright, full of toys and other assorted items. A bed against the far wall was decorated with a bright blue comforter and white pillows. A desk beside it was also white and full of books with bright covers. Nothing in this room was anywhere near close to what was in his.  
  
Suddenly, a sound caught Yami's attention. It was coming from the side of the bed, somewhere on the floor. Yami walked towards the sound and was surprised to see someone sitting there, backed against the wall with their arms around their legs. The person appeared to be crying softly, though Yami had no idea why.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
The person's head immediately came up, and Yami found himself looking at a young face framed with wild, golden bangs. The rest of the boy's hair was black and magenta, which was somehow familiar to Yami. The most striking feature in the young face, however, was the wide, violet eyes. They were currently filled with tears, which made Yami wonder what the problem with the boy was.  
  
"Yami! I thought you'd been seriously hurt during the attack. Are you okay?"  
  
Yami tilted his head to one side and regarded the boy, whose expression went from joy to confusion when he didn't answer the question.  
  
"What attack? Who are you?"  
  
The boy's eyes narrowed, and he slowly got up from the floor. He took a couple of steps closer to Yami, then tentatively reached out to touch him, but at the last minute dropped his hand.  
  
"Who am I? What do you mean, who am I? You're in my soul room, Yami, we've shared my body for a while now. How can you not know who I am?"  
  
Yami regarded the boy, whose face was still wet from his tears. He wasn't crying now, though. He seemed determined, as well as confused. In the depths of the boy's eyes, however, was something close to desperation. It was as if he'd gone through something and was now just barely hanging on to his sanity. For some reason, Yami felt a need to protect the boy; he knew that he couldn't allow him to reach that breaking point.  
  
"I am sorry. I woke up in my room, and all I remembered was that I'd been there for a long time without being able to get out," Yami explained, his tone calm, soothing. "I walked to the door and it was open. I came out and saw this room and then saw you. That's all I know."  
  
The boy took a deep, shuddering breath and then released it. He walked over to the bed and sat down, then put his head in his hands. He shook his head slightly from side to side, making Yami wonder what he was thinking.  
  
"It had to have been the magic attack and the close proximity to that man. You were already weak from the first one. . ." the boy trailed off. "If you don't remember who you are, then you won't know how to fix this. I don't know enough about controlling your shadow magic to try to do it myself."  
  
"You know about my shadow magic?"  
  
The boy looked up, one corner of his mouth up in a half smile. "Of course I know. I've seen you use it. Ever since you stopped blocking me when you used my body I've been able to see and feel what you do."  
  
"So now we're in your mind?"  
  
"Yeah. I put the puzzle together, which let you out," the boy said, pointing to the puzzle around his neck. Yami looked down and saw a similar item around his. "We've coexisted in my body ever since."  
  
Yami took it all in. He'd been set free from his prison of darkness? If that was the case, why couldn't he remember? Was it possible that this innocent boy in front of him had really set him free? Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.  
  
"If we do share your mind, then there is a way for me to extract your memories. Seeing them might help me recall mine. If you'd allow it."  
  
The boy nodded. "Do what you need to do. At this point, it really doesn't matter."  
  
Yami frowned at the resignation in the boy's tone, but then put it out of his mind. He'd find out what was going on soon enough, he hoped. He stepped up to the boy and put his hands on either side of his face, tilting it up so that the boy was facing him. Yami was surprised to see trust in those eyes. What could he have done to deserve it?  
  
"Close your eyes, I'm just going to find your memories, okay?"  
  
"Okay," the boy said, and did as he was told.  
  
Yami closed his own eyes as well and began his search. At first, Yami was bombarded with faces that he did not recognize. Then, he was bombarded with feelings and sensations. The images came so fast that he couldn't pick one out of the multitude of them. Instead, Yami just let them flow from the boy's mind and into his, going with the flow and riding the waves of emotion that accompanied the memories. Before long, he felt as if his mind was being torn apart by the strong current of emotion. He needed to distance himself, of he'd get lost inside the boy's mind. The more he tried to break the connection, however, the stronger the pull became.  
  
His eyes snapped open, and he was surprised to see that both he and the boy had fallen to the floor. The boy's eyes were closed, and Yami could only guess at his state. Yami's only concern now was breaking free of the hold the boy's mind had on him.  
  
With tremendous effort, he pulled away from the boy. The memories continued to come, however, and nothing he could do stopped them. Yami finally gave in to the strong current and let the memories take him into unconsciousness.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Yugi, wake up. I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to wake up."  
  
The voice sent shivers down Yugi's spine. As he regained consciousness, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, and his first reaction was to bolt. He quickly sat up and pushed the person in front of him away with all of his strength. He got to his feet, but then had to put a hand on the nearest solid object when he got dizzy. He leaned against what felt like a piece of wood and willed his head to stop pounding.  
  
"Yugi, are. . ."  
  
"Don't come near me, Kaiba! Stay away," Yugi yelled. He held up his hand as if to ward Kaiba off, but knew that it wouldn't do him any good.  
  
He felt fear, but at the same time, felt anger. Kaiba had betrayed him, and though he had known that there was a possibility that the older teen would do that, Yugi had been willing to give him a chance. The fact that Kaiba had lived up to his reputation made Yugi feel like a fool, and he hated it.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you."  
  
Yugi chuckled. "You could have fooled me. I think you did a pretty good job of hurting me back at the hospital. I'm assuming we're not there anymore, by the way, since the place smells differently. It's dirtier." Yugi's voice was bitter and angry, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of being nice to Kaiba. He should have listened to everyone when they'd told him not to trust him. He should have listened to Yami.  
  
Thinking of Yami. . . Yugi ignored Kaiba and reached inwardly, hoping to feel his partner's presence. All Yugi felt was emptiness, however. His heart clenched at the though of having lost Yami. He didn't know exactly what Yami had done back in his soul room. The last thing Yugi remembered was closing his eyes like Yami had asked him to, and then he'd woken up to Kaiba's voice.  
  
"We're not at the hospital; we're at a warehouse by the docks."  
  
Yugi snapped out of his internal turmoil and focused more on his immediate threat.  
  
"And you brought me here because?"  
  
He heard Kaiba sigh. If he didn't know any better, Yugi would have though he'd heard actual regret in that sigh.  
  
"I didn't have a choice, just like I didn't have a choice in attacking you back at the hospital."  
  
Yugi shook his head, which caused it to ache. He slid down to the floor and leaned his head back against the crate he'd been holding onto. He wished that he could see Kaiba's expression. That way, he'd be able to tell if Kaiba was telling the truth.  
  
"There is always a choice, Kaiba. It may not be one you like, but it's there."  
  
Yugi heard some rustling sounds, and jumped when he felt Kaiba sit next to him. He tried to move away, but Kaiba gripped his arm.  
  
"The guy that brought us here has one of those golden items. It's a rod, which has an eye on it like your puzzle does. He uses that to control people. He told me as much himself, before showing me by controlling my body. When I went to get you at the morgue, when I brought you here, I wasn't myself. I had no control of my actions, Marik did. That's the truth."  
  
Yugi frowned. He'd seen the power of the Millennium Eye and the Millennium Puzzle, so he was aware that each item had different powers. Mind control, though? Was it possible? Kaiba's tone was truthful, at least as far as Yugi could tell. However, he had been willing to trust him before, and it had backfired. In addition, Yugi wasn't in the best mind set at the moment. He'd put off making any decisions one way or the other until he was rational.  
  
"Let go of me!" Yugi yelled, and wrenched his arm lose from Kaiba's grip, wincing at the effort it took. The movement carried him slightly to the left, but he managed to catch himself before he lost his balance. "What are we doing here? What does this 'guy'," Yugi emphasized the word, letting Kaiba know that he didn't entirely believe him, "want with us?"  
  
Kaiba sighed again. "He doesn't want anything with me, Yugi. I don't think he even wants anything with you. He's after Yami for some reason."  
  
That caught Yugi's attention. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't know. He said something about wanting to talk to 'the Pharaoh'. He didn't say why and I really didn't get a chance to ask."  
  
Kaiba was getting angry; Yugi could tell that by the tone of his voice. Whether Kaiba was angry at him or at this mystery guy, Yugi didn't know. At that moment, he didn't much care either.  
  
*Yugi!*  
  
Yugi jerked in surprise at the sound of Yami's mental voice.  
  
**Yami! You're okay!**  
  
*It appears that I am. Come into your soul room, we need to talk.*  
  
Yugi didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and imagined himself in his soul room. Once he got there, he saw Yami sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall. The spirit looked a little worn but when he looked at Yugi, there was recognition in his eyes. Yugi didn't want to remember what it had been like for Yami to look at him like a stranger. It'd been too painful.  
  
"What happened, Yami? Are you okay? Do you remember now?"  
  
Yami smiled that small smile that only Yugi got to see. "I am, aibou. It appears that the backlash from the magic attack temporarily blocked my memories. For a while, I was like I'd been when I first realized I was trapped in the puzzle. It was a disconcerting experience."  
  
"I can imagine. It was pretty freaky seeing you and knowing that you didn't know who I was."  
  
"Seeing your memories of your life and of our time together helped me break the barrier that the magic had erected in my mind. Thank you."  
  
Yugi smiled widely. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad that you're okay. I was really worried."  
  
Yami nodded. "How are you, aibou? What is going on?"  
  
Yugi sighed, and then made his way to the bed, where he sat down beside Yami. "You should probably go talk to Kaiba. He came back to the morgue while you were indisposed, drugged me, and then took me out of the hospital and to some warehouse. He insists that he was being controlled by someone with a Millennium item."  
  
Yugi tilted his head to look at Yami and noticed the spirit frowning.  
  
"I take it you do not believe Kaiba's story?"  
  
Yugi sighed again. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Yami. Kaiba has always only used people when he needed them. I mean, look at what he did to my grandfather. Everyone has been telling me that from the beginning, but I was always willing to give Kaiba a chance. Maybe I'm just tired of trusting people. Maybe it's time I changed, became more like you've always said I needed to be."  
  
Yami kept his gaze on Yugi, which made the teen slightly uncomfortable. Yami could glare someone into submission, of that Yugi had no doubt. He'd seen the effect Yami had on others and always found it amusing when they were weary or afraid of him. To Yugi, Yami's gaze always seemed penetrating, as if the spirit could see his innermost thoughts just by looking at him. The thought was silly, since Yami could see Yugi's innermost thoughts anyway if Yugi let him. Having Yami's full attention like that, though, always made Yugi self conscious.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing, aibou. I was just thinking that yes, you do need to be a bit more careful in whom you trust, but not at the sacrifice of what makes you the person that you are. Your ability to trust, to be kind, makes you unique. Don't completely sacrifice that because of one person."  
  
"So you're saying I should trust Kaiba?"  
  
Yami shook his head. "No. If he's given you a reason to mistrust him, he deserves whichever ways you feel you need to treat him. However, don't let a person like Kaiba take away your fundamental personality trait. Be careful around strangers, yes, but not to the point that you're acting like me. That's what I do, remember?"  
  
Yugi laughed. Yami did have a point.  
  
"Yugi! Damn it, Yugi, don't do this!"  
  
Yami got up from the bed, an amused smile on his face. "Kaiba is getting impatient. We should ignore him, see what he does."  
  
"He's liable to shake me until I wake up. I don't think my poor head can take any more of that."  
  
"Very well, then. I will talk to him. He's got a lot of explaining to do," Yami said, his voice low and dangerous. "No one attacks my aibou without answering to me."  
  
"Give him hell, Yami," Yugi said, for once not afraid of sicking Yami on Kaiba.  
  
Yugi watched the spirit disappear, and lay down on his bed. The conversation between Kaiba and Yami was going to be rather interesting, and Yugi wanted to be comfortable to listen to it.  
  
**~~**  
  
"How could you have let this happen?"  
  
"Me? When did I become responsible for him?"  
  
"He's fifteen years old and your son, who else do you think should be responsible for him?"  
  
Bakura sighed. He'd been listening as Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler argued for the last half hour and was tired of it. He couldn't imagine what Joey's life was like if he had to put up with that type of arguing on a daily basis. Then again, Bakura really didn't know much about Joey's life outside of what he knew about from seeing Joey at school. Yugi and Tristan were much closer to Joey and would probably know more. It couldn't have been good for Joey to grow up in the kind of environment, though.  
  
"It seems to me that you were the one who took our daughter with you when you divorced me and left me our son. You didn't want to take care of him then either and you know it."  
  
So that's what it was, Joey's parents were divorced, and there was another child involved too. He didn't know that Joey had a sister, but it must not have been easy for either of them.  
  
"Alright, that's enough!" Mrs. Wheeler loudly exclaimed, making Bakura jump.  
  
He shook his head and decided that he didn't want to listen to them argue anymore. They should be with Joey, instead of fighting each other. Since they weren't watching over their son, Bakura decided that he would do it. He knew what ICU room they'd put Joey in, because he'd overheard the doctors talking to Joey's parents, so he quickly walked to it. He wasn't supposed to go in because he wasn't family, but Bakura didn't much care at that moment. He walked into the ICU and made his way into Joey's room without anyone stopping him.  
  
The room was dark and quiet. The only sound was the sound of Joey's heartbeat as the cardio monitor recorded it. Bakura was glad to hear it beating steadily. He walked up to the bed and glanced down at the young man.  
  
Joey was pale against the white sheets of the bed. He seemed at peace, though, not in pain as Bakura had last seen him. He didn't really know how Joey was, since the doctors wouldn't talk to him and he was afraid to ask Joey's parents, but at least he was alive.  
  
* Why do you care? *  
  
Bakura was startled at the sound of the spirit's voice. ** What do you mean, why do I care? **  
  
Bakura closed his eyes and visualized himself in the dark, never ending corridor that signified the union of his and the spirit's minds, and found himself staring at an amused spirit.  
  
"Why do you care if the Wheeler brat lives or dies? He's not your friend, nor has he ever done anything for you. Would it really make that much of a difference in your life if he died?"  
  
Bakura sighed. "Not everything has to be about me or involve me, you know. I'm not that selfish."  
  
The spirit laughed and walked towards Bakura. He stopped directly in front of the teen and regarded him with amusement.  
  
"What good are things if they're not to benefit you? Think about it, boy. Why would you want to do anything unless it was for yourself? After all, if you don't do things for yourself, no one else is going to do them for you."  
  
Bakura frowned at the spirit's words. He could never understand what could have happened in his life to make him the way he was now. Millennia spent in isolation in the ring couldn't have done that to him. If that were the case, then Yugi's yami would also be selfish and controlling, like the spirit of the ring. As far as Bakura knew, the pharaoh wasn't like that.  
  
"Haven't you ever had anyone do something nice for you? Didn't you have any friends when you were alive, people that you cared about, people that cared for you?"  
  
The spirit laughed, and the coldness of that laugh gave Bakura shivers.  
  
"I survived alone. I didn't need anyone to take pity on me. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and didn't need anyone else."  
  
For some reason, Bakura found that to be incredibly sad. No one should be without someone to love or someone that loved them. He had his father and his few friends. The spirit seemed to have been alone.  
  
"Excuse me, but who are you?"  
  
Bakura snapped out of his inner dialogue to find himself staring at a brown haired woman.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wheeler. I'm Ryou Bakura. I'm one of Joey's friends. Since no one was here with Joey, I thought I'd come to sit with him."  
  
She smiled and nodded. She walked to one of the chairs and tiredly sat down on it. She motioned for Bakura to sit on another chair and he complied.  
  
"How is he, Mrs. Wheeler?"  
  
Mrs. Wheeler directed her attention to Joey, before putting a hand on her son's arm.  
  
"He's alive. The doctor said that we should be thankful for that. If the bullet had been a few millimeters to the right, he'd be dead."  
  
Bakura swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Joey had looked pretty bad when Bakura had found him, but he hadn't realized it had been that close.  
  
"Is he going to be okay?"  
  
"I don't know, Ryou. He's not out of danger just yet, but all we can do is wait." She turned to face Bakura, and he could see the worry on her face. "What happened? Why is my son fighting for his life? I was told that there was another patient missing and that the police thought whoever had taken that boy had shot Joey. Do you know anything about that Ryou?"  
  
Bakura sighed. "I wish I did. All I know is what Mr. Moto has told me. Yugi is still missing, and no one knows where he is." Bakura neglected to tell her that Mr. Moto also thought Seto Kaiba had shot Joey. He didn't think Mrs. Wheeler needed to know that right now.  
  
"I should have taken him with me too, but I didn't think I could raise him properly," Mrs. Wheeler suddenly said. "He doesn't deserve this."  
  
"No, he doesn't," Bakura said, wondering just how many of them would get hurt before all of this was over.  
**~~**  
  
If Joey's parents seem a little OOC, I'm sorry about that. I've only seen Mrs. Wheeler on there once and have never seen Mr. Wheeler, so I have no idea what they're like.  
  
Coming up: Yami and Marik finally talk. . . two dead bodies are found in the basement, and guess who they blame? 


	16. Duels of Life

Greetings!  
  
Sorry for the delay in this, but it didn't want to get written. I've already complained about writer's block, but it does stink. I think it might be gone for a while, though!  
  
I'm very short on time, so I won't be able to reply to the reviews today. But thank you so very much for taking the time to review. I really appreciate it!!  
  
Oh, I mentioned this when I posted No Kinen Ni, but I'll repeat it for those of you who don't read that story. There's a fanfiction contest going on for fanfiction.net members. If you're interested in participating, please look at my bio for the link. I tried to post the URL here, but it didn't work, so I did it there.  
  
That's it for today. Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 16: Duels of Life  
  
"Joey! Joey! Joey! Joey!"  
  
Joey Wheeler looked around at his adoring fans and grinned. He raised one hand and the crowd cheered even louder.  
  
"Just get a load of that, Kaiba!" Joey yelled at his opponent. "I doubt that you've ever gotten this type of reaction. You're too stiff and boring for most people!"  
  
Kaiba didn't reply, he just glared at Joey.  
  
Joey's grin did not falter at the lack of response. After all, his reinforced Red Eyes Black Dragon had just demolished Kaiba's third Blue Eyes White Dragon, giving Joey the advantage in the duel. Not to mention that he had 1500 more life points than Kaiba currently did.  
  
"Awww, what's the matter, Seto? Are you still mourning the loss of your precious dragons?"  
  
"Shut up, you imbecile," Kaiba finally replied. "This duel isn't over yet!"  
  
Joey chuckled as he looked down at the duel disk strapped to his left wrist.  
  
"You know, Kaiba, I would have thought you better at dueling with these things. After all, you did invent them."  
  
Kaiba remained silent. He tapped his foot impatiently, his face a mask of indifference and annoyance.  
  
"Are you going to make a move or not?" he finally asked.  
  
"What, you're eager for me to finish you off?" Joey asked, gleeful. He had never been anywhere near close to defeating Kaiba in a duel before, which made this moment that much sweeter. "Well, that's certainly a first, but I'll be more than happy to accommodate you. Red Eyes, attack!"  
  
The monster immediately obeyed his master. Since Kaiba had no defenses, the dragon's attack depleted his remaining life points.  
  
"Yeah!" Joey cheered and the crowd cheered right along with him. The deafening sound sent shivers down Joey's spine, but he loved it.  
  
Even in defeat, Kaiba still managed to look smug.  
  
"You're still the same pathetic little dog you've always been, Wheeler. That's never going to change."  
  
The crowd, as if hearing what Kaiba had just said, began to boo loudly. Joey smirked.  
  
"What was that, Kaiba? I don't think that the crowd liked that. What do you say, my adoring fans, should we send Seto Kaiba away?"  
  
A chorus of cheers erupted immediately, followed by loud clapping.  
  
"Sorry, Kaiba, the crowd has spoken. Take him away!"  
  
Out of nowhere, two bulky men in dark suits materialized. They grabbed Kaiba by each arm, picked him up, and carried him out of the coliseum.  
  
Joey sighed contentedly as he watched Kaiba carried out. It couldn't get any better than this.  
  
"Joey! Joey! Joey! Joey!"  
  
His smile grew as he closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of success. Ah, it felt good to be loved.  
  
Suddenly, Joey heard a soft curse. He opened his eyes and looked around, wondering how he'd been able to hear something so soft over the noise from the crowd. He was shocked to see that the previously flat dueling surface was now full of jagged and sharp rocks. The crowd seemed oblivious to the change, however, since they continued to cheer loudly. Joey, on the other hand, was only too aware of the sharp rock he was suddenly standing on.  
  
"Damn!"  
  
There was that voice again. It seemed vaguely familiar to Joey, but he couldn't quite place it. He carefully stepped down from the rock he'd been standing on and began to walk forward. After a few minutes, he came to the source of the voice. Directly in front of him, Yugi was trying to pick himself up off the ground. It looked to Joey as if Yugi couldn't find purchase on the rocks, because no matter where he placed his hands or feet, he'd end up slipping and falling again.  
  
Yugi's eyes were open, but unfocused. They roamed around endlessly as if he couldn't really see what was directly in front of him.  
  
'He's blind,' Joey thought, remembering Yugi's condition. 'He shouldn't be here; he should be in the hospital resting.'  
  
Quickly, Joey walked to his friend. He reached down and gently helped Yugi up, noting that the younger teen's hands and knees were bloody from where he'd fallen on the sharp rocks.  
  
"It's okay, Yug, I've got you."  
  
Yugi's head turned in Joey's direction, surprise evident on his face.  
  
"Joey?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the hospital?"  
  
Yugi finally got his feet under him, and gave Joey a grateful smile. Suddenly, Yugi's face turned serious, which caused Joey's heart to speed up a little. When Yugi got that look on his face, it usually meant that something was truly wrong.  
  
"I came to get you, Joey. You have to come back with me."  
  
Joey frowned at the unexpected answer. Yugi's head slowly moved around, as if he were trying to figure out what was going on around him. The crowd in the stands was still roaring with anticipation of the next duel.  
  
"Where are we, Joey? I hear a lot of people."  
  
Joey grinned. "Man, Yug, we're in a dueling coliseum. I just finished mopping the floor with Seto Kaiba. You should have seen the look on his face, it was priceless!" Suddenly remembering Yugi's condition, Joey felt sheepish, "Sorry, I. . ."  
  
"It's okay, Joey. I'm sure it was very satisfying to beat Kaiba," Yugi quickly added.  
  
"I'm going to duel Pegasus next. Do you want to stick around?"  
  
Yugi shook his head. "No. We have to go, Joey. You can't stay here, because it's dangerous. You have to come with me."  
  
Joey looked around but saw nothing that could cause him any harm. Sure, there were now jagged rocks on the dueling field, but rocks could hardly attack him, right?  
  
"This place isn't dangerous, Yugi. Well, it's only dangerous to my opponents!" Joey chuckled.  
  
Yugi reached out and grabbed Joey's arm in a tight, almost desperate grip.  
  
"You can't see it, but the danger is here. Joey, if you duel and lose, I'm never going to see you again. Please come with me. Let's leave this place."  
  
"Will the next opponent, Maximillion Pegasus, please enter the dueling arena."  
  
The loud speaker interrupted Yugi, as did the crowd's roar of approval. Joey grinned. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Pegasus.  
  
"You can't duel Pegasus."  
  
Joey's attention returned to his friend. What was up with Yugi? He wouldn't normally back down from a duel, and even if Yugi did, Yami certainly wouldn't.  
  
"I've already told you, Yugi, nothing is going to harm me here and I'm not going to lose to Pegasus."  
  
Yugi took a deep breath, his face scrunched up in concentration. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he swayed a bit. Joey immediately reached out to steady him.  
  
"I can't leave this place alone, Joey, because I can't see where I'm going. Please come with me; take me back home".  
  
Yugi's pleading face made Joey's resolve waver a bit. He needed to help his friend. Yugi was right, there was no way he could make it off the dueling arena on his own, not without seriously injuring himself on the jagged rocks. If their places were reversed, Joey had no doubt that Yugi would help him if asked.  
  
"Joey Wheeler, please resume your position for the next duel."  
  
The loud speaker broke Joey out of his thoughts and he turned to where Pegasus was impatiently waiting. As soon as Pegasus saw Joey watching, he gave a very sarcastic salute. Joey's jaw immediately tightened and he knew that he couldn't abandon the duel.  
  
"Come on, Yugi."  
  
Joey took Yugi's arm and carefully led him off the dueling platform. Yugi stumbled a few times, but Joey's grip kept him from falling. When they reached the safety of the sidelines, Joey sat Yugi on one of the chairs that were suddenly lining the spectator's area.  
  
"Wait here, Yugi. I'll take you home after I teach Pegasus a lesson."  
  
"No, Joey," Yugi yelled and quickly reached out to grab Joey's wrist. His grip was tight, his face desperate. "You can't duel. Joey, let's just leave."  
  
Joey covered Yugi's hand with his own and gently patted it.  
  
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I can wipe that smirk off Pegasus' face in no time flat, and then we'll go home, okay? I'll be fine, Yugi, I promise."  
  
****  
  
Joey Wheeler's heart beat slowly, it's every beat recorded on the machine next to his bed. The machine's beeping was one of the few sounds in the empty, dark room, giving it an eerie quality. Joey's chest rose slowly and with effort, as his body desperately fought to repair the damage done to it. The machine inflating his lungs hissed with every breath it forced Joey's body to take, knowing only that its purpose was to keep the patient alive.  
  
Beneath the machines and technology, lay an innocent young man who knew nothing of the effort the machines were putting into his survival. He knew nothing of the choices that would be put before him, but would be expected to make them regardless.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Mr. Moto, we were just on our way to see you."  
  
Solomon stopped short when he heard the voice. He looked up and saw two very official looking men heading his way from the opposite side of the corridor. He recognized them as the two detectives that had been called in to look for Yugi a few hours ago, but couldn't remember their names. He and Tristan had been on their way to find the detectives, but the detectives had found them first.  
  
"What can I do for you?" Solomon asked.  
  
"Do you recognize this?" the man asked, holding up a small, silver object. Upon further examination, Solomon realized it was a cellular phone. Why would the detective want to waste his time identifying a cellular phone?  
  
"Yes, it's a cellular phone," Solomon replied through clenched teeth. "How is this relevant?"  
  
The detective, as if sensing his anger, held up a hand. "Right, it's a cellular phone, but there's more."  
  
The man flipped open the phone and held it out so that Solomon could see its blue screen.  
  
"Do you recognize the name on the screen?"  
  
Just reading the name was enough to make Solomon's blood boil. It figures that the phone's owner would be arrogant enough to keep his name prominently displayed.  
  
"Of course I recognize the name."  
  
The detective shook his head. "I realize that Seto Kaiba is a very well known man, Mr. Moto. What I am asking is if Mr. Kaiba has any connections to your grandson."  
  
Solomon frowned. Had the detectives already found something about Kaiba?  
  
"Seto Kaiba and my grandson are classmates."  
  
"They're also rivals when it comes to Duel Monsters," Tristan added. Solomon had forgotten that the teenager was there.  
  
"Other than that?" the detective asked, apparently wanting them to elaborate further.  
  
"Yugi and Kaiba are not friends, nor do they have anything in common other than what was already mentioned. Of course, there is that little detail concerning Kaiba kidnapping my grandson."  
  
The detective's eyes widened, obviously surprised at the accusation.  
  
"That's a very strong accusation, Mr. Moto. Do you have any proof?"  
  
"I do. I saw him a little while ago," Tristan explained. "He'd gone out the back door and was carrying an unconscious Yugi."  
  
The detective looked at Tristan, and then looked around him, before returning his gaze to the teenager. "What happened to your face?"  
  
Tristan sighed. "Kaiba. I tried to get Yugi away from him and he attacked me. He knocked me down and I hit my head."  
  
"Would you mind coming to the security office. I think we have some things to discuss."  
  
Solomon frowned again, glanced at Tristan, and then agreed to go with the detectives. They were led to an office at the opposite and of the floor, where they were invited to take seats opposite a dull, grey desk.  
  
"What have you found?" Solomon asked, knowing that he wouldn't have been brought all the way here just for an update. His stomach was in knots and he was afraid of what was going to come out of the detective's mouth.  
  
"What is your grandson's relationship with Joseph Wheeler?"  
  
Solomon was speechless for a while. What did Joey have to do with this?  
  
"They are best friends," Solomon finally replied. "Why do you ask?"  
  
The detective pondered the answer for a moment. "Did Mr. Wheeler and your grandson ever argue? Had they argued before Mr. Wheeler was shot and your grandson disappeared?"  
  
"No, they didn't. Joey was actually coming back from my house when he was shot. He'd gone to get some clothes for Yugi. What are you getting at?"  
  
The detective sat forward in his chair, his attention completely on Solomon.  
  
"Mr. Moto, we found the gun used to shoot Mr. Wheeler."  
  
Solomon breathed a sigh or relief. At least something was going well for all of them.  
  
"It was found next to a dead body," the detective continued. "We dusted it for prints and found only one set. They belong to your grandson."  
  
Solomon opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Yugi's prints were on the gun that shot Joey? How? The surprise suddenly turned to anger when he realized what the detective was insinuating.  
  
"You think Yugi shot Joey? That's absurd!"  
  
"Yugi would never do that!" Tristan added. "He'd never hurt anyone."  
  
The detective held out his hands, motioning for the two men to quiet down. "I'm not insinuating anything; I'm just telling you what we found in the morgue. There was another dead body found in a different part of the morgue. And before you ask, no, they weren't bodies that were already supposed to be there." The detective paused. "On one of the tables, we found a half empty bottle of chloroform and a rag spotted with blood. We dusted the bottle and found Mr. Kaiba's fingerprints on it. We also found the cellular phone in the same general vicinity. We ran a trace on the blood found in the rag and it matches your grandson's, Mr. Moto."  
  
"Oh, my God. Yugi was already injured before all of this," Solomon exclaimed. He turned to Tristan. "Was he hurt when you saw him?"  
  
Tristan thought about it, and then nodded. "Yeah, his face looked pretty beat up."  
  
"Tell me about what you saw, young man."  
  
Solomon put his hands on his face, tuning Tristan out. Instead, he thought about what the doctor had told him. Yugi needed complete rest, or his eye sight would never return. If he was being hit again, there could be more damage being done. He didn't want his grandson to remain blind for the rest of his life. They had to find him soon. Solomon dropped his hands to his lap and tightened them into fists. Next time he saw Seto Kaiba, he wasn't going to leave without letting him have what he deserved.  
  
"Mr. Moto?"  
  
Solomon looked up to find both the detective and Tristan looking at him.  
  
"We have to find Yugi."  
  
"I know, Mr. Moto. I'm going to have a couple of search teams go in the direction Mr. Taylor indicated. We'll find your grandson and arrest Mr. Kaiba for questioning."  
  
"What did the two people you found die of?" Solomon asked, suddenly remembering about the two dead bodies.  
  
At the question, the detective frowned. "The medical examiner says that they both died of heart attacks. There is no indication of foul play, just that their hearts gave out."  
  
Solomon nodded. "Is there anything else you need from me?"  
  
"No, Mr. Moto. We'll find your grandson."  
  
Solomon nodded again and left the room in a daze.  
  
"Mr. Moto?" It was Tristan this time.  
  
Solomon looked at him. "You need to get those cuts and your head looked at Tristan. There could be some damage."  
  
Tristan shook his head. "I'm fine, really."  
  
"No, Tristan. Enough people have gotten hurt today, let's not add one more to that. Come on, let's go get you looked at."  
  
**~~**  
  
"Yugi! Damn it, Yugi, don't do this! Wake up!"  
  
Yami gritted his teeth and the unbearable ache in his head. He felt as if it were about to explode. No wonder Yugi wanted to be in his soul room.  
  
"If you don't stop shaking me, Kaiba, I'm going to use my dark magic on you."  
  
The hands that had been gripping his shoulders only moments before suddenly disappeared. He heard movement to his right and felt Kaiba move away from him slightly.  
  
"Yami."  
  
"Kaiba."  
  
"Where is Yugi?"  
  
"He's in his soul room, safely away from you." Yami didn't bother to leave the venom off his voice. He wanted Kaiba to hear it.  
  
"Look, about that. . ."  
  
Yami didn't give Kaiba a chance to finish the excuse.  
  
"I don't care, Kaiba. I'm sure you're going to try to talk your way out of it, but let me tell you this: no one harms my aibou. I don't actually remember what happened, but from the way I feel, and from what Yugi told me, I have no doubt that you did some serious harm." Yami paused, taking the time to assess the injuries. "I was being controlled, Yami. I told Yugi the same thing, but I don't think he believed me," Kaiba said. "I don't really know what's going on, but I wouldn't have harmed Yugi if I'd had a choice."  
  
Kaiba's tone was calm and devoid of emotion. It was as if he were explaining the weather outside, not explaining why he'd hurt Yugi. That just served to anger Yami further.  
  
"The physical injuries are one thing, Kaiba. Those will eventually heal," Yami said, turning slightly towards the sound of Kaiba's voice. Yami's hands tightened into fists and he would have decked Kaiba if he knew exactly where the other teen was sitting.  
  
"What do you mean, the physical injuries will heal?" Kaiba asked, and Yami finally heard a hint of emotion in his voice.  
  
"The body will heal, Kaiba, the mind won't. I doubt you care anything about that, though."  
  
Kaiba was quiet for a moment, leaving the two in a tense silence.  
  
"I didn't do anything to him."  
  
Yami's hands clenched tighter. He should use his magic on Kaiba anyway. He couldn't aim it properly, but Yami had no doubt that it would still do some damage.  
  
"Really?" Yami growled. "He trusted you, Kaiba. For reasons I will never understand, he thought of you as a friend. He trusted you and you betrayed him. Because of that, he now doubts himself and his judgment. That will take much longer to heal, and I guarantee that you have no intention of fixing what you have broken."  
  
Kaiba did not reply. Yami didn't get to hear what Kaiba had to say, if anything, because he suddenly felt strong magic slowly approaching him. He turned his head, feeling as if the presence was all around him. Kaiba hadn't said anything, so maybe it wasn't really there.  
  
"I see that you're finally awake, Pharaoh," a voice that Yami didn't recognize said.  
  
Yami was shocked to be addressed as pharaoh, since no one had ever done so, not in the time period that he did remember, at least. He immediately tensed, knowing that he was more than likely dealing with someone who knew more about him than he knew himself.  
  
"Who are you?" Yami asked.  
  
"You'll find out in good time. All you need to know now is that you killed my father, and I'm not going to let you get away with it."  
  
Yami frowned. He wasn't a murderer. He was violent, yes, when he had reason to be. He might not remember his entire past, but he did not believe what this stranger was telling him.  
  
"I did no such thing."  
  
"Yes you did!" the stranger yelled, and Yami felt a wave of magic hit him.  
  
It wasn't being done deliberately. It felt more as if the stranger's magic was overflowing with his anger, which made him more dangerous. The stranger's voice was young, almost like Yugi's. Whoever the stranger was had to be around the same age as Yugi, or a bit older.  
  
"All of my life, I've been taught to protect your memory, your tomb. I always thought it was unfair to be made to devote my life to someone who was long dead, and I'm not going to do it anymore. You killed my father, and I'm going to make you pay for it."  
  
Yami painfully got to his feet. If he was going to be attacked, he wanted to be standing to face it.  
  
"What's the matter, not feeling well?"  
  
Yami felt the brush of the magic touch his exposed arms, before he felt the presence standing in front of him.  
  
"Your host is frail and weak, Pharaoh. It will be easier to destroy him, and you."  
  
Yami felt the presence leave him. He turned his head to try and feel Kaiba, but was not successful.  
  
"Seto Kaiba, bring the Pharaoh, if you will. I have different accommodations in mind."  
  
Yami didn't have a chance to do anything, as strong arms were suddenly wrapped around his chest. He struggled, but it was as if Kaiba had suddenly gained strength. Kaiba was uninjured, while Yami was not, which gave Kaiba an advantage. Yami closed his eyes and summoned his magic, but before he could unleash it, he felt as if a strong shield was surrounding him.  
  
"No, Pharaoh, no magic allowed. At least not yet," the stranger said and laughed.  
  
Yami unleashed his magic, but felt it bounce back into him. He shuddered as it hit, but it wasn't as strong this time as it had been when he'd been struggling with the other man earlier. Whatever the stranger had done to prevent him from using the magic must have dampened it as well.  
  
"I'm full of surprises, as you soon will see. Now come, Seto Kaiba."  
  
"Kaiba, let go of me!" Yami yelled. "You don't want to do this!"  
  
The stranger laughed. "He has no choice. He is my mind salve until I decide he's no longer useful. Now let's not waste any time."  
  
Yami felt as he was roughly picked up and winced at the numerous aches in his body. Instead of struggling, he decided to go limp. If he couldn't fight back right now, he'd become docile until he figured out what to do. Things were never hopeless. He just had to wait for the perfect opportunity.  
  
**~~**  
  
Seems like Yami is in a bit of a jam, huh?? Stay tuned to find out what happens!  
  
Does anyone know where I can find a list of the cards on Joey and Pegasus' decks? I need to write a duel between them and have no clue as to what cards they'd use (outside of the obvious ones, that is). Thanks! 


	17. Millennium Magic

Greetings!  
  
This wasn't supposed to be a whole chapter, but it got a little longer than it should have been. So, here you go. This chapter is entirely Yugi/Yami and Kaiba, so my apologies to the Joey fans out there. His chapter will be the next one!  
  
I don't have time to reply to all of the reviews tonight (or early morning, I should say), but thank you for reviewing! You guys are absolutely awesome! You all make it a pleasure to write, and I thank you for that.  
  
Thank you benign sadist for the link. The starter decks for Joey and Pegasus will work great for what I need, because the cards are almost exactly the same, so thank you so much!! Also, thanks TZ for the chibi plushies *hugs Yugi, Yami, and Kaiba plushies, while the rest sit around the computer desk* Adrienne-Lillian, you're up to episode 19 of the English version? I could see how Marik/Malik wouldn't make sense to you then. He's two different things depending on if you're watching the English version or the original Japanese version. I based mine on the Japanese version, which has him as a descendant of the family in charge of caring for the pharaoh's tomb (or something like that. Translations are horrible in the DVDs and I haven't watched enough episodes to really know yet). Anyway, Marik wants revenge on the pharaoh because he thinks that the pharaoh killed his father, when it was really his yami that did it. If that doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to find some episode translations for you to read.  
  
Thanks again to everyone! Enjoy the chapter.  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 17: Millennium Magic  
  
**Yami! What's going on?**  
  
Yugi felt his partner's conflicting emotions, but was being blocked from accessing Yami's senses as he usually did. He shared his body, which meant that at any time, Yugi could 'take a peek' out of his eyes and see what Yami was doing, or in his case now, 'take a peek' at Yami's senses to see what was going on around him. Something was blocking him from connecting to Yami right now and it was freaking Yugi out. He didn't think Yami was blocking him, because if that were the case, Yugi wouldn't be able to sense any emotions at all.  
  
**Yami, talk to me!**  
  
Nothing.  
  
Yugi got up from the bed in his soul room and walked out into the hallway. It was darker than usual, which usually happened when Yami was distressed or angry. Taking a deep breath, Yugi walked to the door of Yami's soul room and opened it. He walked inside, finding the room darker and more foreboding than usual, which was also what he expected. The maze of corridors seemed especially endless because of whatever was affecting Yami, but Yugi wasn't worried. He didn't have to traverse the maze. Yami could come to him when he could.  
  
Yugi just didn't think he'd have the patience to wait until Yami appeared.  
  
"What could have happened?" Yugi said to the shadows of Yami's soul room. "He was going to talk to Kaiba. Unless whoever it was that kidnapped us came back."  
  
The thought left Yugi frightened. He felt helpless, because he couldn't do anything. Yami had control of the body, but even if Yugi did, he wouldn't have been able to help.  
  
"What am I supposed to do, just stand here and wait?"  
  
As if someone had listened to his question, the soul room began to glow and morph around Yugi. He looked around, surprised. Neither Yami's nor his soul room had ever done this and Yugi was afraid of what it meant. The light got brighter and brighter until Yugi couldn't keep his eyes open. He closed them tightly, feeling the heat from the light brush his face. After a few moments, the heat dissipated, leaving Yugi feeling chilled. He opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw.  
  
"Woah."  
  
The room he was in now was not Yami's soul room, nor was it his own. Instead of the mazes in Yami's room or the toys in his, this one was made up of steel. It was bright and cluttered with technological equipment of all kinds. Computers lined one end of the room while several dueling disks in various states of disarray lined the other. If Yugi didn't know any better, he'd think he was in one of Kaiba's labs.  
  
"What am I doing here? Where am I?"  
  
"That's a good question. What are you doing inside my head?"  
  
Yugi whirled around to find Seto Kaiba glaring at him. Unconsciously, Yugi took a step back.  
  
"I'm inside your head?"  
  
Kaiba nodded. "I'm new to this whole magic mumbo jumbo, but Marik is currently controlling my body again. I found myself in here the last time he did it, so I came in here again. I didn't even know this room existed."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Yami and I have soul rooms in my head so that we can each control my body when we need to, while the other has a place to go. You must have created this room when Marik invaded your mind the first time," Yugi explained.  
  
"How can he do that?" Kaiba asked. He seemed both interested and somewhat hurt that he could be controlled.  
  
"Magic. Yami was telling me that he was aware that some of the Millennium items had powers similar to this, but he'd never seen this particular power displayed."  
  
"Magic. You know, if I wasn't experiencing it for myself, I would not believe it," Kaiba said. He made his way over to one of the tables and plopped down on it. He regarded Yugi carefully, which made Yugi squirm.  
  
"You're not blind here."  
  
Yugi shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "The mind has no eyes, Kaiba. I can see what I want here, even in your mind."  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened at the morgue. I know that you don't believe me, but I had no control. I couldn't stop it."  
  
Yugi swallowed, the fear that he'd felt as Kaiba had been chasing him suddenly hitting him. He shivered slightly, and wrapped his arms around his chest.  
  
"Look," Kaiba said, and it was clear to Yugi that whatever he was about to say wasn't easy for him to say. "Yami said something about how you started to doubt your judgment because you thought I'd betrayed you. I just wanted to tell you that I didn't betray you and that you shouldn't doubt yourself. I think the best thing about you is that you don't listen to what people say about a person, but rather judge them with your own moral code. I was always glad for that, because you never treated me like everyone else did."  
  
Yugi was speechless. Kaiba had not only apologized to him but was now giving him a pep talk about doubts? Maybe all the injuries to his head had made him go insane in addition to making him blind.  
  
He was about to say something, when an overwhelming sensation overtook him. He felt as if he was drowning, and he clutched at his throat as he fell to his knees. He gasped for air, but none came.  
  
"Yugi?" Kaiba was suddenly beside him, holding him up. "What's wrong?  
  
His vision was beginning to blur around the edges, when the suffocating feeling left him. He greedily took in air, wondering what had just happened.  
  
*Yugi, Marik knows you're in Kaiba's mind. Get him out of there, get Kaiba back in control as soon as you can*  
  
**Yami! What's going on?**  
  
*The only way to escape is for you to drive Marik out of Kaiba's mind. I helped you transfer your consciousness from the puzzle into Kaiba's head and then blocked Marik from sensing you there, that's why I wasn't responding to you. I can not hold him off any longer. His magic is powerful, and I'm too weak to fight him completely*  
  
**How am I supposed to drive him out?**  
  
*Use magic. My magic is your magic, Yugi, you just never learned to use it. Here's your chance. The physical injuries are dulling my senses, but you are uninjured in your current state. You are more powerful than I am right now, use that to our advantage*  
  
**How do I know what to do**  
  
Yami actually chuckled. *I have faith in you, aibou. You will know. Do it fast, because time is running out*  
  
"Yugi, are you okay? Talk to me".  
  
Kaiba was getting desperate, Yugi could hear it in his voice.  
  
"Yami brought me here to get rid of Marik for you. I just don't know how. Now, Marik knows I'm here and is going to try to drive me out."  
  
Kaiba frowned. "Do you realize that everything you're saying sounds incredibly farfetched?"  
  
Yugi laughed. "Yeah, but we're living it, so believe it, Kaiba."  
  
Suddenly, a cold, cruel laugh filled the room.  
  
"You think you're clever, little Yugi? Well, you're not clever enough," Marik said. "I've had a lifetime to perfect my magic; you've had all of five minutes. Who do you think will win?"  
  
"Why don't you stop using other people to do your fighting and fight your own battles?" Kaiba goaded. "A man would fight one on one, you know."  
  
"Shut up, you imbecile. You're nothing but a vessel, something to use and discard when the need arises."  
  
Kaiba was speechless, but Yugi could see the anger in his eyes.  
  
"I can do this," Yugi whispered to himself. "I have to do this."  
  
"Go back into the puzzle, little Yugi. The Pharaoh can't protect you forever. His magic is strong, but not stronger than mine. Soon, he'll be vanished and I'll have my revenge. I'm allowing you to return to the puzzle so that you won't be banished along with him, but you have to go now."  
  
"Kaiba, do you trust me?"  
  
Yugi turned to see Kaiba staring at him.  
  
"What choice do I have?"  
  
"That's not what I asked, Seto. Do you trust me?"  
  
Kaiba thought about it for a moment, before he nodded. "Yes, I do."  
  
"Okay. Close your eyes and focus your strength on me. Ignore Marik and his taunts, don't give him any more ammunition, and just concentrate."  
  
"What am I waiting for?"  
  
"You'll be waiting for control of your body. Once you regain it, disable Marik before he can control you again. I don't think Yami or I can do this again if we have to."  
  
Kaiba nodded. "Okay. Good luck."  
  
Yugi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Good luck indeed."  
  
How was he supposed to drive Marik out of Kaiba's head? How did he usually do things he needed to do? He visualized them, and then did them. Okay, he could do that here. Yami said that he could control his magic, and Yugi was going to believe him. He had to believe.  
  
Yugi visualized the Mirror Wall card. That was one of his favorite cards, because it sent an opponent's attack right back, causing damage. Yugi was going to use it to do the same to Marik. He visualized a small wall, at first, just covering himself and Kaiba. But then the wall grew, encompassing the entire room. As the wall grew, it pushed Marik's influence a little further out. Marik, however, was not an amateur and began to push back. The more Marik pushed, however, the more the wall grew.  
  
With a sudden force, Marik pushed back harder than before, sending Yugi stumbling backwards, causing him to almost lose his perilous control of the magic. Before he hit the ground, however, strong hands caught him and held him up. In the moment Kaiba's hands came into contact with his arms, Yugi felt a rush of strength enter him and he pushed back with twice the strength, driving Marik out.  
  
Before he knew it, there was a loud popping sound in his head, followed by waves of pain. Yugi felt Yami loose control of the protective shield he'd built around Kaiba at the same moment he felt Marik's consciousness leave the older teen. For a split second, Yugi saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but numbness. When he returned to himself, he felt cold asphalt underneath his hands and face and realized that he was back in control of his body.  
  
Somewhere ahead of him, Yugi heard the sounds of a struggle. Someone was fighting, and he figured it was Kaiba and Marik. Both teens grunted as each landed blows, but Yugi had no idea who had the upper hand. He was glad that Kaiba had control of his body, though.  
  
*You did well, aibou*  
  
Yugi smiled. **Yeah, who would have thought?** *I never doubted that you could do it*  
  
The sound of a gun shot brought Yugi's attention back to the fight happening somewhere around him, his heart speeding up at the thought that Kaiba had been shot. He slowly got up, but had no idea what to do to help.  
  
"You imbeciles, take care of. . ." There was the sound of a grunt and a crash, which Yugi assumed that meant Marik had been knocked unconscious. The sounds of fighting continued for a while, until silence ruled.  
  
"Kaiba? Where are you?" Yugi called out, his voice trembling slightly.  
  
He took a few tentative steps forward, remembering having done the same thing in the morgue only to land on top of a dead body. He didn't want to have to do that now, especially if that body could be Kaiba's.  
  
*Do you think he's dead?* Yami asked.  
  
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat. **I hope not**  
  
Yugi's foot hit something soft, and he gasped in surprise. Gingerly, so as not to aggravate his own injuries, he kneeled down next to it and began to run his hands over it. The body felt too bulky to be Kaiba's, so Yugi stepped over it and continued on, until he bumped into someone else. He hoped that there wasn't anyone else waiting for him to get close to knock him out, while he was groping around in the dark.  
  
He was halfway up the body when he felt something rectangular, like a card. He fingered it, before picking it up. He tried to pull it but couldn't, because something was holding it in place.  
  
**That necklace Kaiba wears, the one in the shape of a Duel Monsters card. This has got to be it** Yugi told his partner.  
  
Yugi let his hands roam over the face, and winced when he felt something sticky around the head and cheeks.  
  
*He probably took quite a beating from Marik's hunters. I'll be surprised if he survived*  
  
**Don't be a pessimist, Yami** Yugi chided.  
  
"Kaiba," Yugi said, shaking the teen gently. "Kaiba, you have to wake up."  
  
With dread, Yugi's fingers snaked down to Kaiba's neck, where he felt for a pulse. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he found it.  
  
"Come on, Kaiba, we don't have time for naps."  
  
Yugi's efforts were rewarded with a groan.  
  
*He has a thicker skull than I thought* Yami stated.  
  
"Come on, Kaiba, wake up."  
  
"Yugi? What's going on?"  
  
"Um, you don't remember?"  
  
There was silence. Yugi heard the rustle of clothing before he felt Kaiba sit up.  
  
"I remember, alright. My head is killing me."  
  
There was silence again, until Kaiba picked himself up and hauled Yugi up with him.  
  
"Yugi, we have to go."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want to be under that psycho's control anymore, so we're leaving."  
  
Yugi dug in his heels until Kaiba stopped dragging him. "Where is Marik?"  
  
"He's over there, unconscious. I don't plan to be here when he wakes up. We'll just send the police after him, okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded. He didn't want to be around when Marik woke up either.  
  
They began to walk quickly away from the scene, neither of them saying a word. Yugi had no clue where they were going; he was trusting Kaiba to get him back to the hospital or to a police station.  
  
They'd been walking for a few minutes when Yugi heard sirens. The sirens began to get closer and closer, until Yugi figured that whatever was making the noise had to be right in front of them. His hypothesis was proven correct when he heard the sounds of car doors opening.  
  
"Hold it right there. Put your hands up!"  
  
Yugi immediately halted and felt Kaiba stop beside him.  
  
"What's going on?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Seto Kaiba, you're under arrest for kidnapping. Let go of Mr. Moto and put your hands up."  
  
Yugi frowned. **They think Kaiba kidnapped me?**  
  
*Technically, he did, Yugi. It was his body, even if he wasn't controlling it* Yami supplied.  
  
"This is a mistake," Yugi said and started to walk in front of Kaiba. He stopped, however, when he felt Kaiba's hand on his shoulder.  
  
"They've got guns pointed at us, Yugi. I recommend you do as they say."  
  
"But you didn't kidnap me, Kaiba. They're wrong."  
  
"Mr. Moto, please step away from Mr. Kaiba," one of the police officers said to him.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "No. You're not going to arrest him."  
  
"Yugi, do as they say. It's okay," Kaiba said.  
  
"I'm not going to let them arrest you, Kaiba."  
  
"We'll get this straightened out later, okay, Yugi? For now, have them take you back to the hospital where you should have been all along."  
  
Yugi continued to shake his head. He didn't want them to arrest Kaiba, but what could he do?  
  
"Okay."  
  
Yugi stepped away from Kaiba and stopped when his back hit a wall. He heard the police officers talking as they read Kaiba his rights, and then put him in one of the squad cars.  
  
"Come with me, please," a female voice said to him.  
  
Yugi nodded and walked in her direction. She put an arm around him and led him into one of the other cars. She set him down and closed the door. After a few moments, Yugi felt the car lurch into motion.  
  
**Out of one situation and into another one. Is this ever going to end?**  
  
Yami sighed. *For the sake of everyone, I hope that it does.*  
  
Yugi finally succumbed to the darkness that had threatened to overwhelm him and let his mind shut down. He'd deal with the consequences later, much later.  
  
**~~**  
  
Next up, a chapter entirely devoted to Joey. Well, maybe not entirely. . . I do have to visit Kaiba in jail, after all ^__^. 


	18. Misunderstandings

Greeting and welcome to another installment!  
  
Reviews: Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!  
  
Jadesaber: I think you'll get your answer at the end of this chapter.  
  
Adrienne-Lillian: Hey, wait a minute. . . you didn't just steal my plushies, did you?? No, no, you don't need the butcher knife. Just think of how badly you'd feel if you saw the poor plushies all dismembered. About your questions: You'll get your answer about Kaiba at the end of the chapter. No Kinen Ni is Japanese for In Memory Of. I posted a chapter of that fic right before this one, by the way.  
  
Jaid Skywalker: Yeah, after all that compromising and stuff at the beginning, it seemed like too much of a shame to leave them mad at each other.  
  
Starheart: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
Benign sadist: Actually, I didn't do much with the duel after all. I don't duel, so I had trouble writing the actual process. It's kind of hard to write what you don't know about. I totally agree about Kaiba. I always thought that he wasn't always the cold sob he wants everyone to think he is.  
  
QueenOfHearts: Funny that you should mention Ricky from I Love Lucy. I was watching Lucy, that movie based on Lucille Ball's life that aired tonight, as I was writing this chapter. It was a pretty good movie. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. It's Kaiba's turn to get a bout of bad luck. Safe for the moment is definitely the key. . .  
  
Ummm. . . is it me, or has the readership for this story dropped? Don't get me wrong, I usually don't complain about reviews **hugs reviewers ** but I am curious to know if the story is just not interesting anymore.  
  
Anyway, enough of that. Enjoy the chapter!  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 18: Misunderstandings  
  
The cell door clanked shut, making Kaiba wince.  
  
He stood with his back to the police officers that had dragged him into the cell, defying them to make any more comments. They'd had a ball on the way to the station, making sure that he knew how much they disliked him and how glad they were to have him behind bars. Kaiba hadn't bothered to respond to the pointless taunts. In the end, he would win. He had the best at his disposal and would not be spending any time in prison.  
  
"Well, well, well. . ." the voice dragged Kaiba out of his internal musings and he found himself staring at an older man who was in the cell next to his.  
  
They hadn't put him in the communal cell, the one the police reserved for those criminals who were set to be in jail overnight, but had placed him in a more permanent one. It was a row of five cells, all next to each other, separated only by the metal bars of the cells.  
  
"What do we have here, a teenage punk caught in the middle of a gang fight?" the man continued, starting at Kaiba. "You must have taken quite a beating, kid. You look like you've been dragged halfway to hell and back. But if you're still standing, I bet the other guy isn't." The man laughed loudly at his own stupid joke.  
  
Kaiba ignored him and sat down on the ragged cot at the back of the cell. He felt terrible. If the man's comments were any indication, he must look as bad as he felt. His head felt as if it was ready to explode, and the rest of his body didn't feel much better. He'd been fortunate that Marik hadn't had more of his rare hunters with him, because after taking out the two, Kaiba didn't think he'd have been able to handle one more, especially since Yugi hadn't been able to help. He had been glad to be given control of his body again, though. He never wanted to feel that helpless again.  
  
Remembering what it had been like to watch as his body did things he didn't want to do reminded him of Yugi and what he'd done to the young duelist, which also reminded him of the conversation both of them had while they'd been in his mind. Kaiba shook his head, still unwilling to completely believe what had happened. However, he couldn't really dismiss it either, because he had been there and he had experienced those things.  
  
Yugi had given him back control of his body, which he was grateful for. Kaiba wasn't quite sure how Yugi had done it, because one minute, he'd been holding Yugi up in that room in his mind, and the next, he'd been standing in front of Marik. The change had happened so quickly that he'd almost not reacted in time to block Marik's sudden attack. He'd been fortunate that his survival skills were strong, or else both he and Yugi would probably be dead by now.  
  
Where did that leave him, though? Tristan had probably gone to the police to tell them what he'd seen after their confrontation, which had more than likely led to his arrest. Eventually, the police officers were going to want an explanation from him for everything that had happened, and what was he going to say? If he told them the truth, they'd think he was crazy. Granted, he had enough money and influence to get out of whatever charges were brought upon him, but he couldn't say the same about Yugi, whom he had no doubt was also in some sort of trouble with the police. After all, there were two more dead bodies in the morgue, a teenager probably dead as well, no one to blame, and two formerly missing teenagers who were connected to everything.  
  
Kaiba felt a bit of sorrow as he thought of the mutt. Was he dead now or had someone found him in time? He had to admit that he felt more for Yugi and how he'd feel when told that Joey had died, than he did for Joey himself.  
  
He sighed. There wasn't anything he could do now, but wait and see. He had to come up with a story to tell the police, and he only hoped that they interrogated him before they talked to Yugi.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Mr. Moto, your grandson's condition is very grave. We have to stabilize him, or there is going to be no chance of him regaining his sight. His body has suffered too much trauma and it's going to be tricky as it is. Putting him into a drug induced coma to let his body heal is our only option."  
  
Yugi heard the words but they refused to enter his brain. They couldn't put him into a coma, because he had too many things to do. He had to talk to someone to get Kaiba out of jail, he had to see his friends, he had to make sure Marik was gone. . . the list went on and on and on.  
  
As he returned to his senses, he realized that he was being lifted out of the police car. He struggled, not wanting to be put on a stretcher where they would most likely strap him down and take him back to his room.  
  
"Yugi, hold still." That was his grandfather, and Yugi felt remorse at the worry in his voice. "Let the doctors help you."  
  
"Put me down, I want to walk," Yugi insisted, trying to get out of the grip of whoever was holding him. "Put me down!"  
  
"Put him down, Mike."  
  
Yugi heard the doctor give the instruction and he was immediately set on the floor. Carefully, he got his bearings, ignoring his body's protests. He moved his head, attempting to find his grandfather.  
  
"Grampa?"  
  
"Yes, Yugi."  
  
"You have to get Kaiba out of jail. He didn't do anything to me, and he's hurt. He got hurt protecting me so you have to get him out."  
  
There was silence from everyone around him and Yugi began to wonder if they'd left him or if he was suddenly in some sort of nightmare.  
  
"He kidnapped you, Yugi."  
  
"He was forced to kidnap me, Grandpa."  
  
"What do you mean, Mr. Moto?"  
  
That had to be one of the police officers. Yugi turned in his direction and wished he could see the man's face.  
  
"I don't know what the men wanted, but they forced Kaiba to get me out of my room and down to the morgue. I don't know why. I was a little too busy trying to stay alive to ask any questions," Yugi added, his voice betraying the frustration he was feeling. "We got away, but they found us again. But they weren't the only ones, and the one left made Kaiba take me to some place. I couldn't really see where."  
  
"Where is the other man now?"  
  
"He was where you arrested Kaiba. If your men had looked around instead of immediately jumping to conclusions and arresting Kaiba, you'd have found him."  
  
Yugi was greeted with silence again. "You didn't look around, did you?" he asked.  
  
The police officer cleared his throat. "No, we didn't."  
  
Yugi's heart sank. Marik was still out there and would undoubtedly come after them again.  
  
"I can't believe you didn't look around!" Yugi yelled, on the verge of tears. He didn't want to have to go through all of this again.  
  
"Yugi, calm down."  
  
His grandfather put a hand on his arm, but Yugi jerked away.  
  
"I can't calm down. Not until Kaiba is released. He needs medical attention, Grandpa. When I got to him, he was unconscious. He could be seriously hurt."  
  
"Mr. Moto," it was the police officer again. "How did your fingerprints get on the gun that shot Joseph Wheeler?"  
  
Yugi felt as if he'd been drenched with cold water and for a moment, he thought he'd heard incorrectly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"We found the gun that shot Mr. Wheeler, and it only had your fingerprints on it. How do you explain that?"  
  
Yugi was speechless for a moment and his legs threatened to give out. He felt a pair of hands on his arms, supporting him, and when the person spoke, realized that it was his grandfather.  
  
"I didn't want to tell you until we got you back to your room," his grandfather said, and Yugi could tell from the inflection in his voice that he was angry and was probably glaring at the police officer.  
  
Yugi leaned into his grandfather, all of a sudden feeling very tired.  
  
"Is he okay, Grandpa? What happened?" Yugi's voice was soft, tinged with worry and fear, but he thought he knew who had shot him.  
  
"Bakura found him in the storage closet in front of your room the day you and Kaiba disappeared. He's in ICU right now, Yugi, fighting for his life. He was shot in the chest, and it damaged his heart."  
  
"I want to see him."  
  
"Mr. Moto, you didn't answer my question," the police officer reminded him.  
  
"For God's sake, now is not the time!" his grandfather growled.  
  
Yugi had enough. He stepped away from his grandfather and whirled around to where he thought the police man was still standing.  
  
"The man that attacked me in the morgue had a gun. We fought for it and I won. I picked it up to get it away from him, which is how my prints got on it. I don't know what happened to him, because he knocked me out, but he was the one who shot Joey, not me. Now if you don't mind, I have a friend to go see!"  
  
Without waiting for anyone else, Yugi turned around and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't have to worry about it. His grandfather took his hand and began to lead him back into the hospital.  
  
"My patient needs rest, so if you have any questions, leave them for later," the doctor said to the police officer, before coming to join them.  
  
Yugi closed his eyes and felt tears fall down his cheeks. Joey couldn't die, not like this. He didn't deserve it; he was only an innocent bystander in this whole thing. Whatever happened, it was his fault for getting Joey involved.  
  
"Joey can't die, Grandpa," Yugi whispered.  
  
His grandfather put his arm around him. "He's not going to die, Yugi. Joey's a stubborn one, remember? He'll be fine."  
  
"I want to see him," Yugi said, then sighed. "I can't see him, but I want to go to where he is. I just. . ."  
  
"Yugi, you need to rest," the doctor said. "You're deteriorating slowly; you don't have time to go see your friend."  
  
Yugi turned to the doctor. "You want to put me in a coma, right?"  
  
"Yes, I do. I think that's the best way to help your body recover."  
  
"What if Joey dies while I'm in a coma? I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't get to go to him first. Grandpa, please take me to see him."  
  
His grandfather sighed. "Okay, Yugi, I'll take you."  
  
They walked for a few moments and then entered an elevator. Yugi didn't much care anymore about what happened to him. If he had to stay blind for the rest of his life, he would. He just wanted his friends to be okay. He was tired of fighting, tired of running. He was just tired and wanted it all to end.  
  
He wasn't aware of when they exited the elevator, but he did suddenly hear a woman gasp, which drew him out of his inner thoughts.  
  
"My goodness, child, are you okay?"  
  
"Yugi, you're okay!"  
  
"Thank goodness, Yugi, we were worried about you!"  
  
Yugi tried to find her, but couldn't sense her nearby, so he decided to focus on Tristan and Bakura, whom he felt standing next to him.  
  
"I'm okay. Are you Mrs. Wheeler?"  
  
"Yes, I am," she replied.  
  
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat and walked a few steps towards the sound of her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry about Joey, I really am. It's my fault he's here, but I didn't shoot him."  
  
His grandfather gasped in surprise from beside him, as did Tristan.  
  
"I know you didn't. The police tried to convince me that you had, but your friends made me see reason," Mrs. Wheeler replied. Her voice sounded tired and raw, as if she'd been crying a lot.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
Mrs. Wheeler didn't reply, but Yugi could hear her soft sobbing.  
  
"He's in a coma, Yugi. The doctors aren't expecting him to survive," Bakura replied, his voice soft and sorrowful.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "He can't die, Bakura."  
  
"I know, Yugi, and he won't."  
  
"Can I go in with him?"  
  
"Go ahead, son, but don't bee too long," the doctor, who had followed them, replied.  
  
"Could someone show me where the door is?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Do you want me to take you in?" Bakura asked. "I've been sitting with him for a while."  
  
"Could you, Bakura? I'd appreciate it."  
  
"Sure," Bakura said, and took Yugi's hand.  
  
Slowly, Bakura led him inside until he was standing next to a bed.  
  
"When you want to come back out, just stand up and I'll come in for you."  
  
Yugi nodded his understanding. They'd had to maneuver through a lot of equipment as they'd entered the room, which Yugi guessed was why they didn't just let him in by himself. In his current condition, he'd probably run into some of it and break it. Once he heard the door close after Bakura, Yugi turned back to the bed.  
  
He reached out and laid his hands on Joey, and then moved them until he was touching Joey's face. His touch was soft, afraid that he'd hurt his friend even more. The noise of the machines in the room scared Yugi, because they only served to signify that Joey was slowly slipping away from them.  
  
"Joey, if you can hear me, please come back. We need you to stay with us."  
  
Yugi let his tears flow, a few of them landing on Joey's face. He felt defeated, raw and lost. It wasn't fair. He wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, but tears wouldn't bring back his friend.  
  
*Yugi, let me help*  
  
Yugi frowned.  
  
**How?**  
  
Yami's mental voice was soothing, which Yugi greatly appreciated.  
  
*When you were attacked and I lost the connection with you, I was able to connect with Joey and tell him to assemble some of the puzzle. He did it, which forged a connection between us. I might be able to communicate with his unconscious mind now like I was able to communicate with yours.*  
  
**What do I need to do?**  
  
*Take the puzzle off and lay it on Joey's chest. Let me do the rest*  
  
**Okay. Please help him, Yami. I don't want him to die**  
  
*I'll do everything I can, aibou, I promise.*  
  
Yugi slowly took the puzzle off his neck and laid it on Joey's chest, on the side opposite of where all the bandages were. Suddenly drained of all his strength, Yugi sat on the chair that Bakura had pulled up for him and laid his head on Joey's arm.  
  
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."  
  
****  
  
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."  
  
Joey glanced up from his deck at the sound of Yugi's voice. He turned to the sidelines, where Yugi was still sitting where Joey had left him. He was too far away to be heard over the crowd, but Joey wasn't about to dismiss what he'd heard. After all, he'd heard Yugi once before over the roar of the crowd. What could he mean by leaving though? Joey didn't plan on going anywhere; he was perfectly happy where he was right now.  
  
"What's the matter, Joey-boy, is your deck not being kind to you?"  
  
Joey took his attention away from Yugi to glare at Pegasus, whose Red Archery Girl had just destroyed his Baby Dragon. From the beginning, this duel hadn't gone his way. The cards weren't in his favor, and Pegasus kept destroying the monsters he was able to summon. Now, Pegasus had three monsters on the field, while he only had one in defense mode. He couldn't attack, because his monster did not have enough attack strength, nor could he summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon he had in his hand, because he didn't have enough monsters to sacrifice. Yugi was always telling him to believe in the cards, but it seemed like all his cards were against him for this duel.  
  
"You're not supposed to win this duel, Joey, not unless you walk away right now."  
  
Startled, Joey turned to see Yami standing beside him on the dueling platform. How'd he gotten to him on his own? Frowning, Joey glanced at where he'd last seen Yugi and was shocked to see his friend still sitting on the sidelines. Yami turned to look at what he was looking at and chuckled.  
  
"It seems that even in your mind, Yugi exists as your conscience. He'll be amused to find that out."  
  
Joey turned back to Yami, confused.  
  
"What are you doing here, Yami? Why aren't you with Yugi?"  
  
Yami's expression changed slightly to one of worry.  
  
"Yugi asked me to help you, Joey, and I'm trying to help in the only way I can."  
  
"Help me? I don't need your help to win this duel," Joey said, a bit defensive.  
  
Why didn't anyone think that he was a good enough duelist to defeat his opponents on his own? He'd made it through Duelist Kingdom, hadn't he?  
  
Yami shook his head and glanced over to where Pegasus was standing, tapping his foot.  
  
"You're not going to win this duel, Joey."  
  
"What? Come on, Yami, have a little faith in me. I can beat Pegasus!"  
  
Yami stepped closer to him and looked at his hand.  
  
"Look at your hand, Joey. You've had the Red Eyes Black Dragon there for how long?"  
  
Joey frowned, unsure of where Yami was going with the question.  
  
"It was one of the first cards I drew, but I haven't been able to summon it."  
  
"There's a reason for that, Joey. This duel is more than just a duel. If you lose, your friends and family will never see you again."  
  
"You know, that's what Yugi said to me when I found him. He kept telling me that this duel was dangerous and that if I lost, he'd never see me again. What did he mean by that?"  
  
Yami looked at him, and Joey could tell that he was fighting with himself over something. Finally, he sighed.  
  
"What is the most important thing in this world to you, Joey?"  
  
Joey examined Yami, noting the serious expression on his face. It kind of scared him a little, since Joey had never really had a conversation with Yami before. Not one that lasted this long, at least. Joey knew that Yami was always serious, which meant that he meant what he said.  
  
"My sister and my friends are the most important thing, Yami. You shouldn't have to ask."  
  
"You would do anything for them, correct?"  
  
"Of course I would! What kind of a stupid question is that?"  
  
Yami's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I never thanked you for helping me reach Yugi when he was in trouble. Both he and I appreciate you doing what I asked you to do. Thank you."  
  
Joey frowned. What did that have to do with anything?  
  
"You took my word that time, Joey, and did what I asked, even though you weren't exactly sure that you could. If I told you to surrender and walk away from this duel, would you do it? Would you take my word that you will not win this duel and the only way to see your friends and sister again is to walk away?"  
  
Joey was confused. Why did this duel mean so much? Okay, so what if he lost? His pride would be wounded and Pegasus would gloat for the rest of his life, but that wasn't so bad, was it? He could live with it if it happened, right? Of course he could. But if this duel was just like any other duel, why would Yami be here, asking Joey to believe him on faith alone? Yami wasn't one to exaggerate, not as far as Joey knew.  
  
"Why do you want me to walk away, Yami? What's so important about this duel?"  
  
Yami took a deep breath and then turned to regard Yugi, who was still sitting on the sidelines.  
  
"This duel is your choice, Joey. Whether you live or die depends on the outcome of this duel."  
  
****  
  
Yugi stirred.  
  
He felt Yami's panic and it frightened him. Whatever was happening inside Joey's mind must not be going well, and there was nothing Yugi could do to help. He took Joey's hand in both of his and squeezed it.  
  
"Listen to Yami, Joey, come back to us. We want you here. Your mother is right outside, crying her eyes out because she's worried. Serenity too, even though she's not here. Wherever you are now is not where you belong. Please, Joey, wake up!"  
  
**~~**  
  
'If that man does not shut up, I'm going to reach over and hit him.'  
  
With that thought, Kaiba turned away from the loud man that had been brought into the cell on the other side of him. He found himself looking at the other man, the one who thought he had been caught in a gang fight.  
  
"Loud, ain't he? He's so high he's practically a kite, so he'll be like that for a long time."  
  
Kaiba turned away from that man as well and closed his eyes. His headache had gotten worse and he didn't think he could take much more of this. He was angry because the idiot officers hadn't allowed him a phone call yet. He'd demanded one so he could call his lawyer, but they'd ignored him. He knew that he was allowed one phone call, and that being ignored as he had been was a violation of his civil rights. When he got out, he was going to sue the department for mistreatment. It was that thought that kept him from going completely insane inside the hell hole he found himself in.  
  
"You don't look too good, boy," the man to his left said. "You're looking much paler than you did when you came in. Shouldn't the cops have already taken you to the hospital to get checked out?"  
  
Kaiba opened his eyes and glanced at the man, wondering why in the hell he cared whether or not he'd been taken to the hospital or not. He was right, though. They should have taken him to the hospital first, before bringing him in here.  
  
"I'm fine," Kaiba gritted out.  
  
"No, you're not. You look like you can barely sit upright, much less walk. If I were you, I'd start yelling for a doctor right now. It'll get you out of here, at least."  
  
The man did have a point, though. He was starting to get a little dizzy and lightheaded. Sitting up was starting to be a bit of a chore, and the cot was looking more and more comfortable as the hours passed. Finally, deciding that he didn't give a damn whether he appeared weak or not, Kaiba lay down on the cot, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes, blocking the suddenly painful light. He needed to stay still to calm the pounding in his head.  
  
Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder jerked him awake. He hadn't realized that he'd gone to sleep, and the sudden presence beside him caught him off guard. He quickly sat up, groaning when his head protested the movement. He lost his balance and would have fallen to one side if strong, gentle hands hadn't caught him. They guided him back onto the cot and leaned him against the bars of the cell. Kaiba opened his eyes and looked at the man, intending to thank him. The words died in his throat, however, when he found himself looking into the face of Yugi's grandfather.  
  
"Mr. Moto, what are you doing here?"  
  
Mr. Moto took a couple of steps back, and Kaiba noticed that there were two police officers standing behind him.  
  
"Yugi asked me to make sure you were taken to the hospital. He told the police what happened, and they've released you. There's a cab waiting outside and I'll take you to the hospital to be checked out."  
  
Kaiba frowned. Had he heard right, or was his headache playing tricks on him? Did Yugi's grandfather, the man who had told him he never wanted to see him again, just say that he'd come to get him out of jail and take him to get checked out?  
  
"So rich boy, are you going to sit there, staring, the whole day or are you going to get out of here and stop taking up valuable space?"  
  
Kaiba glared at the man who had spoken, but decided to ignore him. He sat on the edge of the cot with difficulty and waited until the dizziness passed. When he felt ready, he got to his feet, but immediately started to lean to one side. Yugi's grandfather walked up to him and put an arm around his waist, anchoring him. It was rather amusing to see the much shorter man supporting his weight, but Kaiba was grateful. It would not be a good thing to fall flat on his butt right about now.  
  
Slowly, they began to walk out of the police station. Kaiba expected to be stopped to fill out paperwork, but Yugi's grandfather must have taken care of it, because they walked right out of the station and into the cab. Mr. Moto sat him down in the back seat, before getting in himself and giving the driver instructions.  
  
When they were halfway to the hospital, Mr. Moto spoke.  
  
"Yugi said that you got hurt protecting him. Thank you for that. He means everything to me and I'm grateful that he didn't get injured worse than he already is."  
  
"There's no need to thank me, Mr. Moto. Yugi saved me too. How is he? He was beat up pretty badly," he commented, but neglected to say that he'd done some of the damage. He didn't think Mr. Moto needed to hear that.  
  
"He's not well. He was with Joey when I left."  
  
"Is Joey okay?"  
  
Mr. Moto shook his head.  
  
"He's in a coma and not expected to wake up."  
  
Kaiba sighed. He should have asked the police officers if they'd found Marik. Somehow, Kaiba doubted it.  
  
He had a feeling they'd be hearing from Marik again.  
  
**~~**  
  
Until next time! 


	19. Choices

Greetings! Here's the latest.  
  
Reviews: Thanks, by the way, for letting me know that there was still interest in the story. I just thought that maybe since it was winding down, it'd gotten boring or something. I'm glad to know I was wrong.  
  
Angel-Belle: I think you're going to be happy with this chapter!  
  
Jaid Skywalker: You'll be happy with the chapter too. Not much Kaiba angst here, though, just a bit!  
  
Adrienne-Lillian: Whew! Glad to hear you didn't steal my plushies. I was about to send Yami Bakura after you. You'll only have to wait two more chapters to see the ending. . . sniff, sniff.  
  
Starheart: Good aim is a good thing, right? :o)  
  
Ryuujin Dragon King: Wow, I've made you worried about Seto? How cool! You'll find out what happens to Joey in this chapter.  
  
TZ: Thanks for the reassurance! I just tend to get paranoid sometimes. I'd write it anyway, but it's always nicer when I know people are reading it.  
  
benign sadist: I take great pleasure in doing stuff that's unique and not found in other fics. It makes the writing that much more fulfilling. And yes, the authoress creative license says that I get to put the characters through lots and lots of hell! I'm not sure about linking this story up to the beginning of Battle City. I've already veered off course by having Kaiba and Yami meet Marik long before they do in Battle City. I think that if I do it, it'll be in a limited sort of way.  
  
Jadesaber: Doesn't Yugi seem like he'd be everyone's conscience?  
  
Amiasha Ruri: *takes bat and starts to take aim* Yeah, some of those coppers do need some sense knocked into them. No apologies necessary about the review. I just tend to get a bit paranoid about my stories getting boring and dull.  
  
Tira: It's never too late! Thanks for sticking around for all the chapters.  
  
SerafinaMoon: Thanks for reading both fics. I'm gald that you're enjoying them. I hope that your writing goes well.  
  
Labannya: Don't sweat it! Thanks, though, for reading!  
  
Ginger Ninja: Thank you for the compliment and for adding me to your faves. I'm glad you found the fic and enjoyed reading it.  
  
Mutou Yasu: No apologies needed! I think your questions will be answered at the end of this chapter.  
  
Linchi: Thank you very much!  
  
Now, on to the fic.  
  
**~~**  
  
Part 19: Choices  
  
"This duel is your choice, Joey. Whether you live or die depends on the outcome of this duel."  
  
Joey regarded the spirit, confused. Since when was Yami melodramatic? Besides, shouldn't Yami be telling him not to give up and to have faith in his dueling abilities? Yami would never tell him to walk away from a duel.  
  
"What is up with you, Yami? Why the melodrama?"  
  
Yami frowned. "Melodrama?"  
  
Joey shook his head. "Never mind. Seriously, though, what's up? Why are you here? Better yet, why are you telling me to walk away from my duel?"  
  
Yami's eyes narrowed, and Joey could see that the spirit was getting annoyed.  
  
"I already told you, Joey."  
  
Joey sighed. "Yeah, you told me something about my life or death. I just don't see what dueling has to do with this. I mean, look at all these people, Yami! They're cheering for me!"  
  
Yami looked around then, noticing his surroundings for the first time, or so it seemed to Joey. He shook his head slowly, and then turned to regard Joey.  
  
"When Yugi was in the hospital, after he was attacked the first time, he went through something like this. Except that he pictured an open field under the stars, not a dueling arena."  
  
"Okay, Yami, you're really starting to freak me out here. Why don't you just come out and say what you're trying not to say?"  
  
Yami sighed. His hands momentarily clenched into fists, before he relaxed.  
  
"Very well, since I seem to have to come out and say it. Do you remember when I asked you to put the puzzle together so I could help Yugi?"  
  
Joey nodded.  
  
"When I got into his head, he was in an open field under the stars, beside a stream. He'd pictured that in his mind as a way to cope with what he was going through. You decided on a different route and pictured a dueling arena and a duel against your most hated opponents. Let me guess, Kaiba is next."  
  
Joey was startled. "Actually, I just finished with Kaiba. It was very satisfying to mop the floor with that bastard."  
  
Yami nodded. "It's just as I suspected," Yami said and took a deep breath.  
  
Joey continued to watch the spirit, getting more and more puzzled as time went on.  
  
"Joey, you're not really here. I mean, you are here, but you're not."  
  
"What do you mean? This isn't another one of those stupid riddles, is it?"  
  
Yami shook his head.  
  
"What's the last thing you remember? Before all of this," Yami clarified, motioning to his surroundings.  
  
Joey frowned, trying to think. What was the last thing he remembered? He'd gone to Yugi's house to get some clothes for him, because the little guy had looked ridiculous wearing Joey's clothes. He'd gone back to the hospital to give them to Yugi and then. . . his memory stopped there. Had he gotten to the room? Joey closed his eyes, trying to remember, but instead felt an immense pain in his chest. He clutched it automatically, panting heavily. He opened his eyes and stared at Yami.  
  
"What's wrong with me?"  
  
"Remember, Joey. You have to remember," was all Yami said.  
  
Joey continued to clutch his chest. He closed his eyes against the pain and saw a man pointing a gun at him. He felt himself falling and then being dragged. He then saw Bakura's concerned face telling him everything was going to be okay. The images came fast and furious and before Joey knew it, he was on the floor of the dueling platform, his knees drawn up to his chest. He opened his eyes and discovered that the pain in his chest was gone.  
  
"I was shot? Does that mean that I'm dead? Am I hallucinating or something and imagining you?" Joey finally said to Yami.  
  
"No, you're not dead and you're not imagining me. Your body is in the intensive care unit, fighting for its life. You and I forged a connection when you helped me connect with Yugi, and I'm doing for you what I did for him then," Yami explained. "Yugi is sitting next to your bed, clutching the Millennium Puzzle, which is resting on your chest. That's how I was able to enter you mind. I'm here to tell you to leave this place, Joey. Come with me."  
  
Joey carefully made his way up from the floor. He looked around at the cheering crown.  
  
"All of this is fake?"  
  
Yami smiled sadly. "I'm afraid so, Joey. It's your mind's way of coping with the situation."  
  
"Why is this duel so important?"  
  
Yami thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. I just know that it is the choice you've been given. There is no way you're going to win the duel, unless you surrender."  
  
Joey looked down at his cards. The Red Eyes Black Dragon, Aligator's Sword and Time Wizard. . . he couldn't win with those cards, not if he couldn't summon the Red Eyes. If the deck was really stacked against him, as Yami had implied, would surrendering be that bad of an idea?  
  
"Oh, what's the matter Joey-boy?" Pegasus' taunting voice cut through Joey's thoughts. "You're afraid those puny cards of yours aren't good enough to beat me? You're right you know," Pegasus said, and laughed.  
  
Joey gritted his teeth, but refused to reply. He glanced over at Yugi, who was facing in his direction, and then glanced at Yami, who was patiently waiting besides him. Who did he trust more, Pegasus or his best friend and his yami?  
  
Joey lowered his cards and put his hand over his deck, signaling his surrender. The crowd booed loudly, and Pegasus laughed mockingly. Joey ignored all of that, however. He stepped down from the dueling platform and walked over to Yugi with Yami close behind him.  
  
"Come on, buddy," he said as he reached his friend, "I'm taking you home."  
  
Yugi turned to him and smiled widely, which made Joey feel good. He turned to Yami, who also granted him a small smile.  
  
"You've made the right choice."  
  
****  
  
Everything hurt.  
  
That was the first thought that entered Joey's mind as he came to his senses. His body felt as if it had been put through a horrendous workout, ending with a few hundred elephants taking residence on his chest. He wiggled his fingers and toes, content that he could feel them and move them.  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a dark room. He heard machines beeping and hissing besides him and turned, only to be confronted with a shock of black and magenta hair. He reached up to touch Yugi's hair, but his hand bumped into something. Joey looked down to find the Millennium Puzzle resting on his chest, just like Yami had said.  
  
Joey smiled. "Thanks Yami."  
  
"You're welcome, Joey," came the fait response from his mind.  
  
Yugi stirred then and slowly straightened up. Joey couldn't really see much in the dark room, but as he got a look at Yugi's face, he knew that something had happened. Yugi was bloodied and bruised, which wasn't the way he'd been when Joey had seen him last.  
  
"Yug," Joey croaked, wincing at the horrible sound of his voice. "What the hell happened to you?"  
  
Yugi's sightless eyes widened and he turned in Joey's direction. Yugi's hand tightened around Joey's, which he was grateful for. He squeezed back as much as he could without wincing in pain.  
  
"Joey, you're awake!" Yugi cried out. He ran his free hand gently over Joey's face, pausing at his open eyes. "Thank goodness, I was beginning to get worried. Yami wouldn't say much and I thought he'd lost you."  
  
Joey saw tears pooling in Yugi's eyes and reached out with his free hand to pat him on the arm.  
  
"It's okay, I'm still kicking," he whispered. "What happened to your face?"  
  
Yugi sighed. "It's a long story, which I'll tell you later. Right now, I need to get the doctor. Everyone will be so relieved, especially your mother!"  
  
Joey frowned. "My mother is here?"  
  
Yugi grinned. "Yeah, she's here. So is everyone else."  
  
Yugi stood up, and the door immediately opened. "Bakura, he's awake!"  
  
Joey frowned, wondering how Yugi could possibly know who had opened the door, since he couldn't see, and was surprised when he saw Ryou Bakura walk up to the bed.  
  
"Joey! You're okay!"  
  
Joey smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess I am."  
  
Bakura came up to him and patted him on the arm. "I'm so glad you're awake." He turned to Yugi. "Joey's awake now, Yugi, it's time for you to have your injuries taken care of, okay?"  
  
Yugi hung back a bit and it was apparent to Joey that the younger teen didn't want to leave.  
  
"Go, Yugi. I'll be by to see you as soon as they spring me from here."  
  
Yugi smiled. "I know you will. I'll be waiting."  
  
Joey returned the smile and watched them leave. An older man, whom Joey took to be the doctor, came in then and beamed at him.  
  
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Wheeler. For a moment there, we were beginning to wonder if you were going to make it."  
  
Joey grinned though the pain. "Joey Wheeler isn't that hard to kill, doc."  
  
**~~**  
  
Kaiba stumbled again, and winced as the room did another loop. Mr. Moto's arm around him tightened to keep him upright and Kaiba winced at having to depend on the older man. As far as he knew, Yugi's grandfather hated him so Kaiba couldn't understand why the man would care if he was okay or not. Then again, Yugi had asked his grandfather to get him.  
  
"Do you want to stop and rest? I can call someone to bring a stretcher for you?"  
  
Kaiba shook his head, which he immediately regretted when nausea overwhelmed him and it took all of his self control not to throw up in front of Yugi's grandfather.  
  
'What the hell is wrong with me?' he thought. 'I've been in worse fights and not had this strong of a reaction.'  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
"It's okay, I can walk into the hospital on my own," he gritted out.  
  
He turned to see a displeased expression on Mr. Moto's face, but the older man didn't comment. Instead, he simply continued to support Kaiba as they walked into the hospital.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
Yugi's grandfather turned to him, his violet eyes open wide. Kaiba examined them, noting that they were so much like Yugi's. Mr. Moto had lived and seen much more in his life, but the underlying goodness was still there.  
  
Mr. Moto looked away, but not before Kaiba saw a flash of anger, resentment and hatred in the old man's eyes.  
  
"Yugi asked me to. He said that you protected him and I believe him. Besides, you're hurt. I wouldn't have left you in there even if Yugi hadn't asked me to get you out."  
  
"You hate me," Kaiba said, immediately regretting it. It would seem pathetic and weak, and he didn't want pity from Yugi's grandfather.  
  
Mr. Moto turned to him then, his face expressionless.  
  
"I don't hate you. I hate what you've done. . . I hate the way you treat my grandson and his friends and the way you relate to the people around you."  
  
Kaiba frowned. It must be his headache, because Mr. Moto wasn't making sense to him.  
  
"Isn't that the same thing?" Kaiba asked.  
  
Mr. Moto shook his head and sighed. "The day you understand the difference is the day you'll understand my grandson and me."  
  
They continued to walk in silence, until Mr. Moto stopped at the nurse's station. "This is Seto Kaiba, he's expected."  
  
The nurse on duty looked up, her eyes widening as she got a good look at him. Kaiba frowned again. Did he really look that bad?  
  
"Yes, of course. There's a stretcher right over there."  
  
Mr. Moto nodded, looking in the direction she pointed.  
  
"Thank you," he said, and walked Kaiba over there.  
  
"Mr. Moto!"  
  
Kaiba turned his head slowly to see Bakura running towards them. Mr. Moto greeted the young man, before lying Kaiba down on the waiting stretcher. Kaiba closed his eyes momentarily, and then opened them again. He wanted to hear what Bakura wanted.  
  
"Geez, Kaiba, you look like hell," Bakura commented, before turning his attention to Yugi's grandfather. "Joey is awake! I don't know what Yugi did, but Joey is going to be fine."  
  
"That's wonderful!" Mr. Moto replied, grinning as well.  
  
Kaiba nodded, glad that the mutt was still going to be around for a while. He didn't know exactly why he was glad, though, and he figured it was better not to find out.  
  
"Where is Yugi now?"  
  
"He's been taken to his room. The doctor is waiting for you to induce the coma."  
  
Mr. Moto nodded gravely, but Kaiba couldn't get past what he'd just heard.  
  
"Wait a minute, they're going to put Yugi in a coma? Why?"  
  
Both men turned to him, and Kaiba noted how Mr. Moto's expression had darkened. It wasn't anger towards him, though. At least Kaiba didn't think so.  
  
"He's received injuries that have worsened his already tenuous condition. A coma is going to help with the healing of his brain and help restore his eyesight."  
  
Kaiba frowned. Okay, that made sense. "I'd like to talk to him."  
  
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Kaiba," a doctor had walked up to them and decided to make his presence known now. "You're going to be looked at right now."  
  
The stretcher began to move, and only then did Kaiba notice the two orderlies that were pushing it. He wanted to argue, demand that he be allowed to see Yugi, but he was too tired and in too much pain to do anything much more than lay there and close his eyes. He'd get his way eventually, he just had to bide his time.  
  
**~~**  
  
*So what is this they are going to do to you, aibou?*  
  
Yugi smiled at the confusion in Yami's voice. He leaned back in the bed, glad to be able to rest comfortably again. He'd been ushered back to his room immediately after leaving Joey's room, and no amount of pleading had convinced his doctor to let him stay. Yugi wasn't even sure that he quite understood or agreed with that the doctors wanted to do to him, but he figured that anything was better than the way he was now.  
  
**They're going to drug me and put me to sleep so I won't move around and make my head injury worse**  
  
Yugi could still feel Yami's confusion.  
  
*You have already moved around, Yugi. Is the damage not already done?*  
  
**Yes, that's why they need to completely put me to sleep now, so I don't make it any worse.**  
  
*Oh, I see. What will you do while you're in a 'coma'.**  
  
Yugi shrugged. **I'm not sure. I guess I can go into my soul room and talk to you. My body will be sleeping, but I doubt my mind will."  
  
Yami nodded. "I will enjoy that, aibou. We have a lot to talk about.*  
  
**Yes, we do. You still haven't told me about Marik.**  
  
Yugi felt Yami's apprehension at the mention of that name and wondered what had happened.  
  
*Yes, Yugi, I have a lot to tell you*  
  
"Yugi, are you okay?"  
  
Yugi turned in the direction of the voice and smiled at his grandfather. "I'm fine, grandpa. Did you get Kaiba out of jail?"  
  
"Yes. He's being treated as we speak."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Thank you."  
  
His grandfather held his hand and squeezed it comfortingly.  
  
"How are you really feeling, Yugi?"  
  
Yugi sighed. "I hurt all over, grandpa. I'm tired and want this to be finished," he replied honestly. "I don't want to be afraid anymore."  
  
His grandfather squeezed his hand again. "I'm not going to leave you alone anymore, Yugi, I promise."  
  
Yugi squeezed back.  
  
"Okay, Mr. Moto, are we ready?"  
  
Yugi turned towards his doctor. "I guess. Go ahead and get it over with, doctor."  
  
"Good. I'm going to put an IV into your arm, so please relax."  
  
Yugi felt something cold on his arm and smelled the alcohol, before he felt the pinch as the needle entered his body.  
  
"I'm going to be right here the whole time, Yugi. Don't worry about a thing."  
  
Yugi nodded to his grandfather. He started to feel woozy and very tired. His eyes drooped. He fought to stay awake, but slowly lost the battle.  
  
"Sleep, Yugi. When you wake up, everything will be okay."  
  
Yugi listened to his grandpa and succumbed into sleep. His grandfather never lied to him. If he said things were going to be okay when he woke up, then it had to be true."  
  
**~~**  
  
Sorry that this chapter was so short and crappy! I'll try to make the next one longer. 


	20. Aftermath

Greetings! Okay, guys, this is the second to last chapter of this story. The next one will be the epilogue. . . yay!  
  
Reviews:  
  
Amiasha Ruri: Yup, Joey just needed a little kick in the behind, and who better to do that than Yami? I'm not sure about a sequel right now, since I'm not really sure how I'm going to end it yet. I won't find out until I actually sit and write the epilogue. But you never know.  
  
Ginger Ninja: Uh, oh. . . I've made my readers paranoid. *shakes head at muse. See what you've done??* You'll just have to read and find out!  
  
TZ: Short and sweet is definitely good! Linkin Park's music is definitely unique. . . I'm not sure if it goes with anything, but they're an awesome band.  
  
Chugi Moto: Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Dumfounded is good, right?  
  
Jadesaber: Marik coming back? Hmm. . . we'll have to see!  
  
Linchi: I can just picture the happy dance. Don't worry about the muse, they know we're all insane anyway.  
  
SerafinaMoon: I'm sure that your story is good. Besides, you should write it for yourself first and for everyone else later. I'll take a look at the fic when I get a little time!  
  
Starheart: Thank you very much!  
  
QueenOfHearts: ff.net has done that to me a couple of times took, which is really annoying. Take deep breaths, 'kay? We're too close to the end of the fic for you to miss the end, right? :o) Yeah, Joey is okay. I couldn't do anything to the poor guy. Well, nothing permanent, at least!  
  
Maniac: *Yugi hugs for everyone* He's such a sweetie. . . that's probably why we all torture him so. I'm glad you're enjoying the fic, though!  
  
Adrienne-Lillian: Uh, oh. . . sad endings have way of turning the readers against you. I'm just kidding. Sad endings are sometimes more realistic than this one. I think after you read this chapter, you'll know what kind of ending I'm going to give it.  
  
Angel-Belle: *fans Angel-Belle as she lies on the floor, hoping that she's not permanently injured* Those darned ceilings, huh? :o)  
  
Mutou Yasu: How's this for soon? I was actually halfway through writing when I got your review. Thanks! Now on to the story! Enjoy!  
  
Part 20: Aftermath  
  
"No! Get away from me! Why are you doing this, big brother, why?"  
  
Mokuba's eyes shone with unshed tears as he backed up. The little boy was panicked, and Kaiba could tell that he was confused. His back hit a wall all of a sudden, bringing him to a stop with a wince. Kaiba saw his hands reaching out for his little brother's throat and could do nothing to call them back.  
  
"Stop! Let go of me!"  
  
Mokuba kicked, but his legs didn't reach Kaiba. Instead, Kaiba's hands wrapped around Mokuba's slim throat, causing the younger man to choke. He tried to pull away, but was not strong enough. As his breath was drawn out of his body, all Mokuba could do was stare and plead with his eyes to be let go.  
  
"Marik, you bastard!" Kaiba called out in his mind. "Don't make me do this, damn it! Let go of me!"  
  
Nothing. Marik had decided to stay silent and stop tormenting Kaiba.  
  
"Answer me, Marik!"  
  
Again, nothing.  
  
"Seto, please," Mokuba whispered with his last breath. "Please, stop."  
  
Kaiba could do nothing as his hands continued to tighten around his brother's slim throat. He felt Mokuba's heart beat speeding up under his fingertips, and felt his small body trembling. Mokuba's eyes rolled back in his head and then closed, his body going limp in Kaiba's hands.  
  
"You can have control of your body now, Seto Kaiba."  
  
Suddenly, Kaiba found himself able to move. He immediately let go of Mokuba, but it was too late. His little brother slumped to the ground. Kaiba kneeled beside him and felt for a pulse, but found none.  
  
"Mokuba? Mokuba, please wake up!" when there was no response, Kaiba cradled his little brother's dead body in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  
  
****  
  
"Mokuba, no!"  
  
Seto Kaiba sat upright in bed, immediately wincing as his head protested the sudden movement. He looked around wildly, trying to find his little brother. Instead, he found himself in a bland hospital room. His heart was racing from the vivid images of the dream. What if it happened again? What if Marik controlled him again and he actually killed someone? What if he hurt his brother?  
  
"That must have been quite a nightmare."  
  
The voice startled Kaiba, and he turned to his right to see Yugi's grandfather standing by the door, watching him.  
  
"It was nothing," Kaiba replied. His voice sounded phony even to himself.  
  
He gingerly lay back down, desperately trying to control his breathing. He felt sweat dripping down his forehead and had no idea about how disheveled he looked.  
  
"Where is my brother? He's not here, is he?"  
  
Mr. Moto nodded. "He's with Yugi, actually. I left my grandson to come talk to you and asked your brother if he would sit with him for a bit."  
  
"Why is Mokuba here?" Kaiba asked. He hadn't called his brother because he hadn't wanted him involved.  
  
"He saw you on the news and had one of the drivers bring him here. He's been sitting with you for the last 24 hours. Tristan and Bakura took him down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, and then he went to sit with Yugi."  
  
Kaiba thought about what he'd been told. He should have known that Mokuba would find out about what had happened to him eventually. He sighed, and then turned back to the older man.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Mr. Moto walked closer to the bed, but still stood a good distance away.  
  
"I want to know what happened, Kaiba. I want to know how you and Yugi came to be so injured. Yugi's injuries were superficial, thank goodness, but yours weren't. You have a severe concussion and a broken rib. How did that happen? Yugi wouldn't tell me, so I expect you to."  
  
The look on Mr. Moto's face said it all and Kaiba had no doubt that the older man would do just as he said.  
  
Kaiba closed his eyes. He was tired and he was in pain. He wanted to see his brother and get the hell out of the hospital. He didn't want to give Mr. Moto any explanations, but he had no other choice.  
  
"Okay, fine. I see no point in lying to you anyway, so this is what happened."  
  
Kaiba laid it all on the line, telling Mr. Moto exactly what happened. He didn't leave anything out, not even the part about being controlled. He figured Mr. Moto would either believe him or think he was crazy. And since the old man had told him he had a concussion, maybe he could use that as an excuse for his insanity.  
  
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Kaiba asked after he was done, when Mr. Moto kept his silence.  
  
"What is there to say, except maybe to say thank you for telling me the truth."  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened. "You believe me?"  
  
"I'm an archaeologist, Kaiba. Or I was back in my younger years. I know the myths surrounding the Millennium Items and the Egyptian God cards. Hell, I knew about them when I gave Yugi the Millennium Puzzle. I figure now that I made a mistake in giving it to him, but what's done is done. In either case, yes, I do believe you. I was willing to believe that you'd beaten up my grandson and kidnapped him, until I couldn't find a reason for you to do so. I'm well aware of your reputation and that you are calculating, cruel, and heartless when you want to be. I've actually experienced it myself. This time, however, there was nothing in it for you. I couldn't see you going through that much trouble for nothing."  
  
Kaiba was speechless. That was the longest speech Mr. Moto had ever said to him. He didn't know why, but he was slightly hurt at Mr. Moto's words. He was saying the truth however. There was nothing in this situation for him. Was that all he was to people, though, someone who only got involved when they had something he wanted?  
  
"How is Yugi?"  
  
Mr. Moto sighed, and Kaiba could see the fatigue evident on his face.  
  
"He's in a coma. The doctor says he'll be kept in a coma for ten days."  
  
"Why that long?"  
  
"They say that the damage done to his head was severe. The surgery he had after the original attack fixed some of it, but the trauma afterwards didn't help. They want Yugi to be completely immobile for that time in order to ensure complete healing."  
  
Kaiba nodded. "I hope he's okay."  
  
"Me too. Well, I guess I should leave you to rest. I'll go and get your brother for you. Yugi's room is just down the hall."  
  
"I'll go with you," Kaiba said, surprising himself.  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea, Kaiba. You're pretty beaten up yourself."  
  
"It's okay, Mr. Moto. You said the room wasn't that far away."  
  
Mr. Moto sighed. "Very well."  
  
He came over to help Kaiba out of bed, and then handed him a robe and a pair of slippers.  
  
"Your brother brought you these," he said at Kaiba's questioning glance.  
  
Kaiba put on the robe and slippers and gingerly stood up. With Mr. Moto's help, he was able to walk a few doors down to where Yugi was. As soon as he entered the room, he realized that Yugi wasn't the only one he was going to visit.  
  
"Big brother!" Mokuba said as soon as the boy got a look at him. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"  
  
"I'm fine Mokuba, don't worry," Kaiba replied as he walked into the room.  
  
They had moved Yugi into a double room, and had moved Joey in with him. Kaiba hadn't expected to visit Wheeler as well.  
  
"Wheeler, I see that you're still around," Kaiba said before he could stop himself.  
  
He could feel Mr. Moto's glare on the side of his head. Joey was sitting on his bed, his left arm in a sling, and looking rather worn and pale. His features didn't have their usual animation to them, and he just glared.  
  
"Don't sound so disappointed, Kaiba. It was close," Joey said.  
  
Tristan, who was sitting beside Joey, simply glared at him. He could see the bruises on his face, and a small, butterfly bandage on the side of his head. Kaiba felt uncharacteristic remorse at having done what he did to Tristan, but he hadn't really been in control at the time.  
  
Bakura, who sat beside Yugi on a chair, turned and gave him a small smile, while Tea didn't look at him at all. Yugi lay on his own bed, sleeping peacefully. Or so it appeared, since Kaiba knew what was really going on. His injuries had been taken care of and bandaged, so he looked much better than the last time he'd seen the smaller teen.  
  
"What are you doing here, Kaiba? You don't belong."  
  
"Joseph," Mr. Moto said, his voice clearly giving a warning to the younger man. "You too, Kaiba. This isn't the time or the place."  
  
Kaiba turned to glare at the older man, surprised that anyone would dare chastise him. Mr. Moto, however, stood his ground without flinching. In the end, it was Kaiba who looked away first.  
  
"I'm here to see Yugi, Wheeler," he said, making his way to the bed.  
  
He supposed that Mr. Moto had told Yugi's friends that Kaiba hadn't been responsible for what happened, because no one had gotten up to strangle him yet. As he reached the bedside, Bakura got up from his chair and offered it to him. Kaiba waived it off, but Bakura insisted.  
  
"You look as if you're about to fall over, Kaiba. This isn't the time to play macho man," Bakura commented.  
  
He did feel pretty lousy, he had to admit, so he took the offered chair and sat down. Ignoring everyone else, he turned to Mokuba, who was standing beside him.  
  
"Are you okay, Mokuba? Why are you here? You should have stayed at home."  
  
Mokuba shook his head. "I had to be here when I heard you'd been taken to the hospital. I was scared."  
  
Kaiba's face softened, and he reached out to embrace his younger brother, not caring who saw him.  
  
"Now that you've seen that I'm okay, will you go back home?"  
  
Mokuba shook his head. "No way. I want to stay here with you."  
  
"Mokuba, I don't want you staying in my room by yourself, it's not safe," Kaiba said, glancing over at Yugi. He didn't mention that Marik was still out there and would more than likely come back to get what he didn't get this time. He didn't want his brother in danger.  
  
"I'll be around," Mr. Moto said. "Yugi wanted me to check up on you, so I'll be in your room periodically. I'll watch him."  
  
Kaiba nodded, too tired to argue. Suddenly, he felt dizzy. He tried to get through it, but the more he tried to stay upright, the dizzier he got. He felt himself falling forward, and felt a couple of hands holding on to him, before darkness took him.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Whoa, is he okay?" Joey asked, looking at Kaiba's slumped body. Bakura was the only thing between Kaiba and the ground at the moment, but Mr. Moto was calling for a nurse.  
  
"Seto? Seto are you okay?" Mokuba asked, his voice a bit high pitched.  
  
The kid looked really worried to Joey, and Joey couldn't blame him. Kaiba did look pretty bad. He figured that they were all either very luck or very unlucky to be laid up in the hospital at the same time.  
  
"It's okay, kid, he's probably just tired."  
  
A couple of nurses came in and laid Kaiba on stretcher. He must have passed out, because he still seemed to be breathing. Gingerly, they took him out of the room, Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather following.  
  
"Now that was freaky. I don't think I've ever seen Kaiba like that. What happened to him anyway?"  
  
"I have no clue, Tristan. But I'd love to find out," Joey replied.  
  
He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. The hole in his chest was healing, but it was very slow going and hurt like hell. He could barely move, because any little movement caused him an agony of pain. At least he was glad that his parents were gone. They wouldn't be getting in the way anymore. Though Joey had to admit, it had hurt when they'd both just suddenly gotten up and left. He supposed he should be happy that they came at all.  
  
"You okay, buddy?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm just tired."  
  
Joey turned to watch Bakura, who was still sitting next to Yugi.  
  
"Hey, Bakura, would you mind sitting over here for a little while?"  
  
The white haired teen seemed surprised at the request, but complied and took a seat besides Joey.  
  
"Sure, Joey, what's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to thank you for helping me out when I was shot. I was ready to go, but you helped me stay for a little while longer. I'm very grateful."  
  
Bakura blushed, which made Joey smile.  
  
"It was my pleasure, Joey. I didn't want you to die. Besides, that's what friends are for."  
  
"Yeah, that's what friends are for."  
  
**~~**  
  
"Are you bored, aibou?"  
  
Yugi turned to see Yami standing at the door to his soul room and smiled. He continued to bounce the ball he was holding against the wall, watching it idly as it hit and then returned to him. Finally, he gave up on the ball and tossed it to Yami, who caught it and held on to it.  
  
"I'm not bored, but I am impatient. I hate not being able to wake up."  
  
Yami chuckled a bit. "Am I bad company?"  
  
"No! Not at all, Yami. I'm just. . ." Yugi trailed off, not sure what he wanted to say.  
  
He didn't even know how he was supposed to feel about everything that had happened, so he couldn't explain it to someone else. He knew that Yami wouldn't push, though.  
  
"You are frightened of what could happen when you wake up."  
  
It was a statement, not a question, and as soon as Yugi heard it, he knew that Yami was right. He was impatient to know what his fate would be.  
  
"What if this doesn't work and I end up blind for the rest of my life?"  
  
Yami walked into the room and sat on the bed. He patted the spot beside him, gesturing for Yugi to sit as well. Yugi did as he was asked, and settled comfortably beside his partner.  
  
"Is it a possibility?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "If the swelling doesn't go down, or if it does and it has already done too much damage, I'll be blind for the rest of my life."  
  
"I see. Losing your sight would not change who you are, Yugi."  
  
Yugi turned to regard Yami, whose kind gaze was directed at him.  
  
"No, but it would alter everything in my life. I'd have to learn differently, get around differently, everything would be different." Yugi's eyes began to tear up and he hated himself for being so weak. "It's not only me, Yami. You'd be condemned to the same fate as me. You'd have a host who could no longer play Duel Monsters or do much of anything. What good would I be to you then?"  
  
Yami shook his head. "Is that what you're really afraid of Yugi, that I'd leave you if you were blind? Aibou, we're in this together, and that means until the end. I'm not going to leave you. I've lived the last millennia in darkness, so I'm sure a few more years aren't going to affect me much."  
  
Yugi felt immense relief at the words, which was then replaced with disbelief. Why would Yami willingly stay with him if he became damaged?  
  
"What about Duel Monsters? I wouldn't be able to play anymore."  
  
Yami chuckled. "It's a game, Yugi. We could learn to play another. Or, we could adapt Duel Monsters to suit us. I value you as my partner and friend; I do not only value you because of the body we share. Please believe that."  
  
"I do."  
  
Yami reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around him, and Yugi did the same, relishing in the feeling of comfort and warmth that Yami always gave him. A few of his tears fell, sinking into the fabric of Yami's shirt, but no more than that. He was going to be okay. No matter what happened, he would be okay.  
  
The two broke apart and continued to sit side by side in an amicable silence, until Yugi spoke.  
  
"What about Marik? You need to tell me about him."  
  
Yami sighed. "Yes, I do." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, before continuing. "Marik insisted that I had killed his father, which I don't remember doing. I don't believe that I would have done such a thing, however."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I don't think you could do something like that either. Besides, how would Marik's father have become associated with you? He's fairly young and you've been dead for three millennia."  
  
Yami pondered the question for a moment. "Marik said something about his family being in charge of caring for my tomb, so I would assume that the connection comes from there. I do not know much about the God cards he was looking for either. I would assume that Kaiba knows about them more than I do, since he already has one. We will have to ask him when you wake up." Yami paused for a moment. "I do not really know more than that, Yugi. I am sorry; I wish I had more information for you."  
  
"It's okay, Yami. Do you think Marik will come back?" Yugi asked, his stomach already clenching in preparation of an upcoming confrontation with the unstable teen.  
  
"I believe it's a strong possibility, Yugi. We must be ready for his second strike, because I am positive that there will be one."  
  
Yugi nodded, his heart already beating faster than it was moments before.  
  
"I just hope that I'll be okay. I don't want to have to face Marik if I end up blind."  
  
****  
  
Okay, so not much of a cliffhanger here. See, I'm not completely heartless. Next up: the end! 


	21. All's Well that Ends Well?

Greetings!  
  
So very sorry for the delay in getting this posted! As I explained when I posted No Kinen Ni, I sprained my left elbow while rollerblading and was not able to type for a month.  
  
So after the long wait, here is the last chapter of this story. Sniff, sniff. . . I've had so much fun writing it and getting to know some of you who've been reviewing since the beginning (you know who you are. Big cyber hugs and lots of cyber Oreos to you!!). I can't thank you enough for that. This was my first story so it made all the difference in the world to know that I wasn't boring you all to death! Cyber Oreos go to everyone else too for being such great reviewers. I've enjoyed reading all of your comments/suggestions/threats! I think I'm going to miss them!  
  
QueenofGames: Wow. 20 chapters in 5 hours is very impressive, especially since my chapters are not short. Glad you decided the story was worth reading!  
  
Okay, I'll shut up now and let you read what you really want to read. Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Epilogue: All's Well that Ends Well?  
  
3 weeks later  
  
"Come on, Tristan! He's not going to notice it if it's gone."  
  
"Oh, yeah? His hearing has gotten pretty good, you know Joey. I wouldn't be surprised if he could hear you right now, plotting to steal his lunch!"  
  
Yugi smiled slightly, trying very hard not to grin. After a few more moments of the continuing bickering, he opened his eyes and turned towards the sound of the voices. He could see the blurry outlines of Joey and Tristan sitting on two chairs by the far wall, his lunch tray in between them.  
  
"With that kind of noise, I bet the nurses can hear you at their station," Yugi stated. "Joey, get your hands off my food!" he added, when he saw the blonde's hand hovering over a sandwich.  
  
Joey and Tristan both turned towards him, both smiling sheepishly. Tristan swatted Joey on the back of the head, which caused Joey to turn and glare at him.  
  
"What are you two still doing here? After all that time Joey spent in the hospital, I figured you'd want to be outside in the fresh air."  
  
Yugi squinted and could barely make out Joey's grin. As if noticing Yugi's strain, both Tristan and Joey moved their chairs closer to him so that Yugi could see them better.  
  
The coma that had been induced to repair the damage done to his brain had been successful, or so the doctors said. His vision was mainly blurry right now, but he could see. The doctor had assured him that with a few more weeks of rest and constant surveillance, he'd be back to normal. He'd suffered no permanent damage due to the operation and subsequent ordeal, which he was very grateful for.  
  
"Are you kidding, Yug? We'd rather be in here with you."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "In other words, my grandfather threatened bodily harm if you didn't stay in here and make sure I didn't go anywhere, right?"  
  
Both Tristan and Joey looked at each other and then broke out into loud chuckles.  
  
"Yeah, something like that. Gramps is pretty scary when he wants to be, you know!"  
  
"Joey, I've only been out of my coma for a few days. I'm not going to go anywhere."  
  
Tristan turned serious and put his hand on Yugi's arm.  
  
"That's what we thought last time, Yugi, and look what happened. We're going to make sure nothing happens this time!"  
  
Yugi sighed. He loved his friends. He didn't know what he'd do without them, even when they treated him like a child.  
  
"How are you doing, Joey? Are you still in pain?"  
  
Joey shook his head and unconsciously put his hand on his chest, over the bullet wound.  
  
"It gets pretty bad every once in a while, especially when I sleep. Other than that, it's okay. Don't worry about it, Yugi, I'll be fine. The doctor said the wound was healing nicely."  
  
Yugi smiled sadly. That was Joey, always the optimist.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Joey. You had no reason to be dragged into all of this."  
  
"Nonsense, Yugi!" Joey replied, grinning. "Besides, how else could I get the constant attention of so many beautiful nurses, all at the same time?"  
  
Yugi laughed, wincing a little as his head began to ache.  
  
"Hey guys!"  
  
Yugi turned to see a blur standing by the door. He was too far away for Yugi to see any defining features, but the voice immediately identified him as Bakura.  
  
"Hi Bakura. How are you?"  
  
"I'm doing good, Yugi. How are you feeling?" he asked as he came closer to the bed.  
  
"You're wearing your ring on the outside of your shirt, Bakura."  
  
Bakura glanced down at his chest and touched the ring, then looked back up at Yugi.  
  
"You can see it?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "Something that glows like that is easy for me to see. It's why I haven't lost the puzzle yet. When I take it off and want to find it again, I just tell Yami to make it glow so I can find it."  
  
*That is what I have been reduced to, huh, your 'make the puzzle glow' guy?*  
  
Yugi laughed out loud at the unexpected jab.  
  
**Oh, hush. You know you're much more than that**  
  
"Sorry, that was just Yami trying to be funny," Yugi explained at the puzzled looks he was getting. "Why are you wearing the ring on the outside?" The last time that had happened, Yami Bakura had been controlling the body without Bakura's consent and was up to no good. Yugi wasn't up to dealing with Yami Bakura right now, so he wanted to make sure everything was okay.  
  
"I don't know why, really. I hadn't realized I'd left it out," Bakura quickly replied and tucked the item underneath his shirt. "So, it's my shift now, I believe."  
  
Yugi's eyes narrowed at Bakura's response, but said nothing. "Don't tell me, my grandfather has dragged you into making me stay put as well?"  
  
Bakura chuckled. "He's definitely persistent."  
  
"I'll stay with Yugi, you can all go."  
  
All four teens turned to the door. Yugi didn't see anything but white, but the voice gave him away.  
  
"Kaiba, what a surprise," Yugi said.  
  
"It shouldn't be. We have unfinished business." Kaiba turned to the others. "I'd like to talk to Yugi alone."  
  
Joey shook his head, and then leaned down so that his mouth was next to Yugi's ear.  
  
"He's been chomping at the bit to talk to you for the past week so I'm going to be nice and leave. You can thank me later, Yug."  
  
Yugi grinned and said goodbye to his friends. He had no doubt they'd be back for their 'shift' soon enough.  
  
"How are you feeling, Kaiba? My grandfather told me you'd ended up with a concussion, among other things."  
  
Kaiba didn't reply. Instead, he sat down on the chair Bakura had just vacated.  
  
"It was nothing, Yugi. I'm perfectly fine."  
  
*Of course he is. Remember Joey telling us they had to drag him out of here unconscious, aibou?*  
  
**He doesn't want to appear weak in front of me and you, Yami, you know that. Let him keep his dignity. We know what's really going on with him. After all, he's not as cold as he'd like everyone else to believe*  
  
*Too bad. I rather liked hating him for no reason*  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Sorry Kaiba, I was talking to Yami. What can I do for you?"  
  
The elder teen was quiet for a moment and Yugi would have loved to clearly see the expression on his face. As it was, all he could see was Kaiba's hair and lips. The rest of his face was blurry, because he wasn't sitting as close as Joey and Tristan had been. He could remedy that, though.  
  
"Would you mind sitting a little closer?"  
  
"Huh?" Kaiba replied, obviously surprised. "Why?"  
  
Yami laughed. *Careful, Yugi, he might take that the wrong way*  
  
Yugi mentally sighed. **Will you cut it out? I'm trying to have a serious conversation here**  
  
Yami retreated into his soul room, but not before making it very clear that he found the situation extremely amusing.  
  
"I just want to be able to see the expression on your face, and you're sitting too far away. You're just a big blur to me from that distance."  
  
"Oh," was all Kaiba said, but he did comply and brought his chair closer to the bed. "I take it your vision is improving, then?"  
  
"Yeah. The doctors say I should be back to normal in a few weeks."  
  
"Good. You'll need to have your sight back if you're going to participate in Battle City."  
  
Yugi frowned. "Battle City? What the hell is that?"  
  
"It's the Duel Monsters tournament I'm going to host in order to lure the Rare Hunters to town and recover the remaining two God cards. You're going to help me do that. The winner of each duel will get the other's rarest card, so all you and I have to do is defeat whoever has the cards and they'll belong to us."  
  
Yugi remained quiet, digesting everything he'd just been told. That was just like Kaiba too, assuming, not asking, that he'd help. Yugi supposed that he really didn't have any choice in the matter. Marik had already dragged him into the mess so the least he could do now was help Kaiba finish it.  
  
"Okay, and where is this tournament going to be held? Don't tell me you have an island set aside somewhere too."  
  
Kaiba actually chuckled. "No, no island. Battle City will take place in the streets of Domino. You won't have to travel anywhere."  
  
Yugi frowned. "How are we supposed to duel on the streets?"  
  
"Using this," Kaiba said and brought up a brief case that Yugi hadn't noticed before. He set it on the bed beside Yugi and quickly opened it. He took something out and handed it to Yugi. "This is Kaiba Corp.'s newest release, the Duel Disk. It uses portable holographic generators to create and animate the monsters, so that duel arenas aren't needed anymore."  
  
Yugi took the offered item and brought it close to his face, studying it. It was different, even different than what Kaiba had wanted to use against Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom.  
  
"Wow, so we'll really be able to duel anywhere?" Yugi asked, excited at the prospect.  
  
"Of course. So does that mean you'll help?"  
  
Yugi looked up at Kaiba. "Is there any other option?"  
  
Kaiba slowly shook his head. "I guess not. You should keep that then, get practice with using it. Once you're released from the hospital, give me a call and I'll explain the Battle City rules to you so you can get acquainted with them before I make the announcement to the rest of the city."  
  
Yugi nodded. He sighed, knowing that he and Kaiba had more than duels to talk about.  
  
"Kaiba, about what happened. . ."  
  
"What happened, Yugi? We got caught in something neither of us could control, but we got out of it alive. Isn't that enough?" His voice was cold, but Yugi knew Kaiba enough to realize that the whole incident had frightened him. This was Kaiba's way of dealing with what scared him.  
  
"Whatever you say, Kaiba. It's not over, you know. Marik will be back."  
  
"Yeah, I know. We'll be ready this time, Yugi. He's not going to catch us off guard again."  
  
*He's right, Yugi,* Yami said, emerging from his soul room once again. *The only thing we can do is be prepared, because Marik will return*  
  
Yugi sighed. **I know, Yami. That's what I'm afraid of**  
  
**~~**  
  
Marik Ishtar stood on his yacht, examining the clear waters of Domino Harbor. He did not like to lose. He would not stand for it. Yugi Moto and Seto Kaiba had bested him this time, but the war was not over. The war had just begun, and when it was over, Marik would be the victor.  
  
He knew about Battle City from Kaiba's own mind. It had surprised him to find out that a small part of him had remained in Kaiba's brain. Yami had apparently not done as good a job of getting rid of him as the spirit had thought, which worked to Marik's advantage. Every once in a while, when Kaiba's mental discipline was at its lowest, Marik could hear the teen's thoughts, feel some of his feelings. Being controlled by him had left Kaiba very frightened, and he had every intention of using that to his advantage. For now, he was content to spy on Kaiba and his friends through the weak link they still shared. The time to take control again would come soon enough.  
  
For now, Marik would wait. He'd made a deal with the white haired spirit of the Millennium Ring, which assured him a constant flow of information. In the end, he would win. The God cards would be his.  
  
THE END  
  
******  
  
So there you have it. Thank you very much for joining me on my very first Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic. It's been a blast, and I thank you all for reading! Here are some useless stats in case anyone wants to know:  
  
Story first posted on 12/1/02. Story completed on 6/24/03. No. of words: 61,602 (yikes!) No. of pages: 162  
  
I do have another story, No Kinen Ni, that I'm still working on, if anyone is interested. I'll be starting another one soon, hopefully, so maybe I'll hear from some of you again. 


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